Honorable Devotions
by Mistress of the Arts
Summary: The Tiger Lily was a way for them to accept the modern world and bring the White Tigers out of isolation. Only Lee Wong has discovered all it's done is bring insanity. As he battles with his pride, Lee finds himself spiraling as he tries to keep Mystel away from Mariah, Ray to pop the question, and runs into the outsider that caused his issues to begin with. -LeeOC RayMarMys KevOC-
1. Chapter I: Tigers, Lilies, Life

_Disclaimer: Beyblade does not belong to me in any way, shape, or form. Takes place in modern day - meaning all characters are over the age of 18. Warning: Contains swearing, suggestive themes, mature themes, and other things that little kiddies should not be exposed to. Read at your own risk._

_A/N: And I am back! Okay, sooo, not really too sure how it happened. Like just yesterday I was on a Tyson kick and now all of a sudden, I want to make my claim on Lion Boy. I want to actually write/finish a Lee project. Why? Because White Tiger X has always been my favorite team and Lee is in my top five (Raul and Tyson fight for the number one spot :p) So without further adieu, let's get this show on the road!_

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_Chapter I_

_Tigers, Lilies, Life_

It had been thirteen years.

Thirteen long years of struggling through the transition of growing from child, to awkward teen, and finally to young adult. Thirteen years of growing up in isolation, slowly entering a metamorphosis of accepting the changes in modern society. Things had changed.

Lee Wong was not someone who dealt with change very well. It had been proven back when his very best friend moved away from their small village in White Tiger Hills, abandoning his clan and childhood friends in the process. Truth was it wasn't really the fact that Ray had left that had emotionally scarred the lion. It was the fact that Ray had unintentionally opened old wounds once again by leaving.

Because once upon a time, Lee had let someone into his heart. When he was only seven, he created a bond with someone whom his own grandfather forbade him from ever seeing again. An outsider that he should have never met.

The restaurant was empty, the fans slowly turning above, the early afternoon sunlight shining through the thick, mahogany blinds. Lee hated his mid-shifts, especially during the middle of the week. Being the assistant manager of a restaurant wasn't the career Lee had foreseen himself having at the age of 21. Yet, strangely enough, that's what happened.

It all happened when Ray's uncle decided to open his own restaurant. Having worked for the aristocrat Deveraux Polanski for many years in Paris, Stan was given an opportunity by the French billionaire after he learned one evening about White Tiger Hills. It had been Dev's idea to try and give the village some recognition and make them apart of history.

So, after several months of planning, they opened _The Tiger Lily_. It was a Chinese restaurant and the first of many to come - of course, Dev wanted to make sure that business would boom. He wanted the original to hold the purest authenticity that could be achieved. Stan knew the staff he wanted immediately.

His nephew and his old Beyblading team.

Of course, White Tiger X still competed in competitions as a professional sports' team, but during the rest of the year they needed some means of supporting themselves. So, Dev had everything worked out legally, and the White Tigers opened the restaurant at the beginning of May in Bey City, Japan. With Ray as the General Manager and Head Chef, Lee was appointed his second-in-command. It was fitting for the two, a system that they had worked out when they were children. There was equality, but Ray took on the most pressure.

Lee cracked under pressure.

It had been about six weeks since the _Tiger Lily_'s grand opening. They were doing well, according to Oliver's father - with the French aristocrat stopping by frequently on his father's behalf. Oliver was basically the one helping them from going under when things got hectic. Lee couldn't count the number of times he saw the greenette grab a uniform, suit up, and waltz right on into the kitchens when they were slammed and understaffed.

Finding cooks who could replicate the recipes from their hometown flawlessly had proven difficult. Sometimes, Lee himself would leave his post to cook - he at least mastered some of the recipes. He _was_ from their place of origin after all. Mariah was the better cook though, along with Gary.

Tao-sensei promoted business. Along with was the one who wrote all the fortunes for the cookies. He claimed it was a perk - though a lot of customers usually had odd expressions after opening their cookies and just shook their heads. They knew the old sensei was senile with old age (or was he? Hmm… even Lee wasn't sure if the man was just crazy and twisted) so they let it slide with a chuckle or two.

It was nice to see old friends and competitors from their blading days, back when Tyson won three consecutive World Championship titles in a row. Of course, those days came to an end. Over the past few years, the title had basically been passed around between the Blitzkrieg Boys, the White Tigers, the Majestics, the PPB All Stars, and BBA Revolution. Tyson was determined to not let go of his title again, now that he had successfully gotten it back in last year's championships.

Living in Bey City was nice. Just hard to adjust to.

The _Tiger Lily_ was a beautiful restaurant, especially since Mariah and Oliver had teamed up on the décor. The floors were mahogany, with pillars and high ceilings, nice large fans turning to keep the room a nice temperature that fought off the summer heat. When one walked in, the doorway had faux plants and two stone tiger statues lining the doorway. There was a podium for the host/hostess, along with the waitressing sections.

Behind it was the register area - Lee's domain. He didn't feel comfortable leaving it, especially when they were really busy. He guarded the register zealously - some idiot tried to rob the place the second week they were open. Let's just say Lee Wong had a temper when it came to morality and by the time the police got involved, the guy was pretty much unconscious. Of course, Lee claimed it was self-defense so he was off the hook with the authorities. Kevin and Gary learned quickly to stick to what they knew - with the greenette being the main dish washer and in charge of prep.

The wall behind Lee had been painted by Oliver himself, of a majestic jungle that reminded Lee of home. There was a white tiger emerging from a large tiger lily - how the restaurant had gotten its name and theme. The counter around him was rectangular, with only one section lifting to come in and out, with a small hallway behind a stone wall - which had water and a rock fountain, more plants and even little fish swimming around in the water - blocking it. The hallway led to a door that was locked - only Lee and Ray had the key. With the counter being so high up, this part of the floor elevated, it was impossible for someone to hop over it.

So Lee felt high and mighty in his domain.

As a prideful lion should.

The safe was underneath the register, concealed by a sliding panel. Lee had a drawer that he stowed things to occupy his time with whenever they were dead - like it was currently. He even had a ball of yawn to play Cat's Cradle with - a stress reliever his dear baby sister had taught him.

Emotionally awkward, honorable, stubborn, prideful, hotheaded, and yet sweet, Lee had a few issues controlling his stronger emotions such as irritancy, anger, and basically anything negative. Normally, he was very happy and easy-going. That is, unless, something had irked him and eventually put him in a bad mood.

One of those things happened to be Mystel.

For some _unholy_ reason, the wanderer had followed them from White Tiger Hills. Lee had hoped that after BEGA's downfall six years ago that the blond would happily wander back to wherever the flip he came from. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

Mystel had found a home in White Tiger Hills.

He said he found a family with them - something he never had, unfortunately. Lee felt bad for the guy, but he also thought he was downright nuts and illogical. Of course, Lee was the only one who hadn't completely accepted Mystel as part of their clan. Maybe because he had the sneaking suspicion that Mystel was after his baby sister's heart.

Lee was _very_ protective of Mariah.

He always had been. It was his job to look after her. Especially since their parents had passed away when they were children, in a horrific rockslide that had also taken the lives of Kevin's father, Gary's older brother, and a few of the other villagers. It had been one of the most tragic events of White Tiger Hills.

Sadly enough, White Tiger X had been the ones who suffered the most from it.

His Grandfather - the head of the clan - had been the one to raise them. He told Lee that it was his duty to protect Mariah from all that may harm her. He knew that Mariah could take care of herself - she was strong and fierce. Yet, he also knew that the pinkette had one of the biggest hearts he had ever seen. Mariah cared and loved, befriending others quickly. She wasn't so quick to trust, but she had blind spots.

Mystel, he suspected, knew of these blind spots and was trying to use it to his advantage. Of course, this left poor Lee in an awkward position. He wanted Ray to step up his game already and ask Mariah to marry him, but something seemed to be holding him back. Sure, they weren't officially dating or anything yet, but they were childhood sweethearts. Even Lee, someone who had a non-existent love life, could see this.

He could only pray to the gods that Mariah wasn't falling for that quick-witted bastard.

Lee gave a yawn, slumped on his counter as he watched Kevin idly cleaning the store. They had the mid-shift today, with the rest of staff doing their own thing. A lot of their staff was Japanese, but they had adapted quite well and followed instruction. Ray was happy with them.

There were a few girls from White Tiger Hills that worked there as well, as cooks or waitresses - including Zhen Xiao, a timid and sweet hearted girl that was Kevin's best friend, for they were both the same age.

The black-haired adolescent was watching her now, seeing she was daydreaming again. Zhen was a hard worker, but she got distracted easily. She had been fixing all of the paper lanterns that decorated the small tables and the booths that lined the walls, along with watering all of the tiger lily plants that were in vases all over the restaurant. Kevin was sweeping and wiping down the tables - him having caught up on all of the prep for the evening shift and done all the dishes. Right now, they were finding things to do to kill time.

Cleaning was one of them.

Lee did not want to leave the comfort of his stool and clean today.

"Yo, Zhen."

The small girl snapped out of her daze, turning to look at Lee with her large golden eyes. Kevin was the only one in their clan to have violet irises instead of gold - his mother was from the monkey clan over the mountain. She had been taken in by the clan after she became pregnant by Kevin's father. It had been one of the few exceptions to the "no outsiders" rule his Grandfather had set long ago. Kevin was…still treated a little differently from the rest.

That's when Gary had stepped in as Kevin's unofficial big brother and looked after him.

"What is it, Lee?"

"Just makin' sure you hadn't fallen asleep standing up," Lee teased.

It was easy to talk to Zhen, because she reminded him of Mariah. Like a baby sister. She was timid and shy in comparison to Mariah's perky and outgoing personality, though.

Zhen was pretty though - another reason Lee felt the need to shield her. Her hair was as blue as the ocean, tumbling to her waist in a thick high braid, tied back with a white hair ribbon. The braid itself was more twisted than braided, however, something that made her unique. Her bangs were parted in the middle, framing her porcelain face and brushing her small shoulders. Her eyes were kind and merciful - like her namesake - calming and yet distant. Zhen wore a pale green top, with the sleeves covering her small hands, with white pants and black flats.

She was sweet and gentle, but very frail in both appearance and personality. Mystel had taken her under his wing, trying to bring her out of her shell. Lee was terrified the blond was after his sister _and_ Zhen sometimes. He was just too damn flirtatious for his own good.

"You look tired," Lee stated, having taken a good look at her.

"Oh, I'm okay. Just had trouble sleeping last night. Mariah had Hilary over for the night…"

Lee nodded in understanding, "Well, you know Kev would never have any issues with you staying in the loft."

Zhen blushed a bit, "Oh, I know. I wouldn't want to impose, especially since Mariah doesn't let me pay anything on the apartment."

"You shouldn't have to. You came here with us to support your mother back home. You do enough as it is, Zhen. Please understand."

"I'll try," she looked down with a small smile, "It's almost time for me to leave."

"Go ahead and clock out early, okay? Go take a nap. You need one."

"Well…if you think I should."

Lee smiled, "Go on."

Zhen smiled back before she wandered off to do so. Lee gave a small chuckle, noticing the way Kevin's visible orb had watched her leave. Once he was sure that the blunette was on her way, he cleared his throat, startling the monkey boy. Kevin jolted, grasping onto his broom so not to collapse.

"Dammit, Lee! I told you not to startle me like that!"

"Haha, couldn't help it." Lee leaned against the counter, chin in hand. "So what's the deal with checking out Zhen, huh?"

"I-I wasn't!" Kevin puffed out his pink-tinged cheeks, his actions reminding Lee of a small child who was embarrassed about being caught. "Just noticed she was tired, like you said!"

"Then you should kidnap her for a movie night or something."

"I thought you said there were no girls allowed in the loft?"

"I moved out, stupid."

"Oh yeah…"

"Wow, can't believe you're still following rules I set weeks ago."

"Shut up! It's habit! Do you know how many years I took orders from you?"

Lee chuckled at the defensive greenette, "Just go clean something, dork."

Kevin stalked toward the kitchen doors, muttering to himself about not checking out his childhood friend. Lee simply shook his head at the denial, wondering if Kevin really did have some level of feelings for his childhood friend. He wasn't for sure.

Zhen was like him - emotionally awkward, inexperienced when it came to the opposite sex. So even if someone was interested, neither would know it until the person flat out said it to their faces.

Sad part was Lee had been unable to really see anyone in that light. Not for thirteen years. The girls he did associate himself with were family, like family, or old competition.

Hell, the only girl who did have a full-length conversation that wasn't related to him had been Julia Fernandez. They had a nice love/hate relationship - he did care about the Latina, but in his own awkward way that usually had playful banter. F-Dynasty and the White Tigers had a good rivalry between them, which made them good friends. Raul was still shy and quiet though.

"Oh gods…"

Lee made a face as he noticed Tyson and Hilary heading for the restaurant. Those two hadn't been together long, and half the time broke out into an argument only to end up practically sucking face not even five minutes later. He was happy for them, but they were _nauseating_ at times. Lee could feel his stomach churning just a bit as the door opened, the couple being greeted to the soft Chinese music playing (Kevin was in charge of the music and was very possessive of his rights when it came to it). Tyson broke into a grin, raising his hand up to greet Lee.

He high-fived the cap-clad champ, before pulling out two menus. Taking a glance around the restaurant, Lee shrugged. He knew the odds of anyone else coming in today at this hour was slim to none.

"Sit anywhere ya like,"

"Thanks, buddy!"

"Yo, Kev! Get your monkey butt out here and wait on Tyson and Hilary!"

They heard his voice shouting from the back in an annoyed voice, "YOU DO IT!"

"I'm busy," Lee replied.

Kevin came out from the kitchens, glaring and pouting. "You are not! You're playing with yarn!"

Lee shrugged, "I have to concentrate. Stress reliever. You know how Riah gets if I don't do my Cat's Cradle."

Rolling his eyes, Kevin then turned and put on a wide and fake smile for the couple, who were chuckling and giggling over the exchange between the two. Kevin led them to a booth, asking them what they would like to drink. He left, went toward the back, and came back with two glasses of soda for them. He then took their orders, glaring at the bored lion as he passed, and disappeared into the kitchens.

_Dear gods, time go by faster!_

Lee was restless. He wanted to escape the mind-numbing boredom. Because when he got restless like this, he started to over-think everything. When he started to over-think everything, memories sprung to the surface he tried to not think about. Memories that were better left buried.

Memories that already plagued his dreams.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of anxiousness, the door opened and Ray came strolling in with Mariah. Topaz eyes danced in excitement, Lee about to spring over the counter and hug the two of them, only to stop.

His happiness evaporated as his name was called out by a very perky blond.

"Heya, Lee!"

"Oh…hi Mystel."

_Dammit. _

"Lee, how are you today?" his sister greeted sweetly, leaning onto the counter.

He reached out to affectionately pat her on the head, "Just bored, Riah. What about you?"

"Oh, I'm great! Zhen, Hil, and I had a blast last night at my place. You should've come over and watched movies with us."

"I was busy,"

Mariah rolled her eyes at this, "No, you just didn't want to hang out with a bunch of girls."

Lee sweatdropped - well, she nailed it, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

"No, I really was busy!"

"Doing what?"

"I…ugh…well…crap."

"See! I knew it. Meanie."

"That hurts, Riah!"

"Deal with it!"

Lee hung his head, feeling his pride being poked out as his pinkette sibling continued to pout. At least until she saw Kevin, who was about to go and clock out. She gave a squeal, rushing forward to glomp the younger boy. Mariah had always doted on Kevin - unfortunately, all it did was get the monkey's hopes up at times. He always had a little crush on her, but he knew that he was strictly in the friend zone.

If it wasn't the fact that Mariah was Lee's sister, he would actually pity the shorty.

Well, too bad.

"I'm out!" Lee exclaimed.

He tossed his yarn ball into his special drawer, locked it, and then proceeded to escape. Once he was clocked out, Lee went to the lockers and pulled out his street clothes - living in the city had taught him to at least wear normal clothes when out and about. He actually did have some errands to run today.

The original living arrangements had been hectic. Ray had been living with Tyson during the time that Stan and Dev had opened the _Tiger Lily_. The restaurant had a loft above it with Lee, Gary, and Kevin all moving in. Mariah and Zhen had found an apartment in the same complex that Hilary lived in with Salima.

After a couple of months, Lee found the space was to small for three guys. So he made the decision to move out. He actually lived at the same apartment complex as his sister, but he lived in a separate building in a one-bedroom apartment. He liked living on his own - it meant he didn't have to pick up after anyone.

Sadly, he did get lonely sometimes.

Ray usually would spend the night then. Ray was actually rooming, oddly enough, with Mystel of all people. They had gotten a small house together, in Tyson's neighborhood.

Lee yawned a bit, happy to be done for the day. It was about four in the afternoon, meaning he still had a little of his day left. He was off the next two days - he worked five days a week, usually working eight to twelve hour shifts. The time he had to spare, he usually spent it practicing at the Community Center, or hanging around town in the park. Sunday's they closed early, and those nights were devoted to team practice and usually going out as a group. Zhen and Mystel tagged along sometimes.

He was content with the way his life was turning out.

Yet…

Something was missing.

Once he had changed into a pair of tattered black jeans and a yellow t-shirt, exchanging his shoes for his brown and yellow skate shoes, Lee shoved his other clothes into his brown leather backpack, slinging it over one shoulder before leaving out the back door that led to the alleyway between the _Tiger Lily_ and the bookstore next door. There was a fire escape that led to the entrance of Kevin's and Gary's loft.

Moving into that loft had been a bitch, since the only other entrance was through the storage room, and the staircase was old and rickety. The building itself was an old one, made out of red brick. The front of the restaurant had a large sign, similar to the mural Oliver had painted, with a white tiger lunging out of a giant tiger lily, the restaurants' name written in English in large bold letters, then in kanji beneath.

Lee stretched his tired muscles as he turned to the right, passing by the entrance of _Yakamura Books_, glancing idly at the display as he did, just to wonder if the cranky old man had put up something interesting. The store itself was old - far older than the restaurant - and looked a little run down.

He shrugged a bit, not seeing anything remotely interesting, eyes trailing into the store to see the old man bickering with a customer. Disinterested, Lee went to move on.

He paused.

Backtracked.

Then felt like a shit ton of bricks had hit him.

"No freakin' way."

_Yes, freakin' way._

"No refunds, my ass!"

The door had just opened, with Lee standing there and gawking, looking as if he had seen a ghost as the customer had stormed out. She turned to give the store owner a dirty look, only to turn and realize that a guy was staring at her.

Lee felt his heart thump, his stomach turning unpleasantly.

There was no way that it was her. It couldn't be. It had been thirteen years.

Thirteen years since Lee Wong had seen the outsider he shouldn't have ever met.

Her lips parted as the recognition finally seemed to dawn on her.

"…Hey, Lee…"

And now she was standing in front of him.

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_A/N: Twists~ oh how I love thee! Alright, so give me some feedback! For those curious about the Mariah pairing, it could either be Ray/Mariah or Mystel/Mariah. Depends on how things turn out. This is a Lee-centric story, however, so that is a side couple. There will be mentions of other popular couples (such as TyHil and MaxMar). So who's this outsider that Lee knew once upon a time? What kind of connections does she have with our awkward hero? Review to find out!_

_Next Chapter: Crossing Paths_

_~Mistress of the Arts_


	2. Chapter II: Crossing Paths

_Disclaimer: Beyblade does not belong to me in any way, shape, or form. Takes place in modern day - meaning all characters are over the age of 18. Warning: Contains swearing, suggestive themes, mature themes, and other things that little kiddies should not be exposed to. Read at your own risk._

_A/N: Ready to find out about Lee's past? I know I am! :D *bounces excitedly* Okay, okay, calming down now to write~ Thanks so much for reading. Take the time to leave me a review though, okay? I need feedback!_

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_Chapter II_

_Crossing Paths_

"…Hey, Lee…"

Finally, after what seemed like ages, he was able to draw breath again and speak.

"Alicia…?"

She gave a nod of confirmation, shy smile spreading across her lips. Lee felt as if life had just shoved him hard, causing an overwhelming maelstrom of emotions to hit him. His stomach twisted, feeling his body lightly tremor as topaz eyes took her in from head-to-toe.

He hadn't recognized Alicia Godric at first because the last time he had seen her she had been seven. People obviously looked much different with age, which is why it had taken her a moment to recognize him. Though it would be hard to forget the animalistic features and prominent nose of his.

Her hair was a russet brown, reminding him of dark chocolate, having darkened from the copper tone he remembered when she was little. It fell to mid-back, thick and layered, with bangs side-parted and brow-level above her sharp eyes. Her eyes had always been strange - even for someone of the neko-jin bloodline - because they were heterochromatic. The right was a blue, the left a green. They were colors close in shade though, so they didn't stand out drastically. He noticed she wasn't trying to hide them like she did when she was small.

Her complexion was apricot, with her build slender and athletic, but she wasn't petite like Julia. His face was warm as he took in her breasts and her curves, which weren't hard to notice from her outfit. She wore a black spaghetti-strap shirt that showed off her toned and flat stomach, with a pair of low-rider dark blue tattered skinny jeans and black low top Converse. She wore a black wristband on one wrist, a black choker necklace, and she had a blue and black striped hooded sleeveless vest on, left unzipped. He noticed she wore a simple silver stud in her right ear, with a silver cross earring that dangled from a black chain in the left. She also had a cartilage piercing on her right ear, a silver hoop. She wore an ample amount of make-up, just eyeliner, mascara, and a metallic blue eye-shadow that made her eyes stand out.

"_Ni hen piào liang_,"

Alicia blinked, obviously understanding his native tongue, and her face turned red. Lee quickly clamped his mouth shut, staring in horror that he accidentally let that slip. It was the only words that had come to mind after taking her in for the first time in years.

"You…don't look too bad yourself, Lee." Alicia finally said, though she shifted a bit. Clearing her throat, the brunette then glanced at the restaurant behind her. "I take it that's the infamous restaurant owned and run by White Tiger X?"

Lee managed to pull himself out of his minor paralysis, "Yeah. Ray's uncle's the one who's calling the shots. I work there."

A voice in the back of his head spoke up, _Obviously you do. You're part of White Tiger X, you dumbass._

Lee hated how awkward he was. Especially with someone he used to be entirely comfortable with. Granted, it had been one summer. He had been naïve back then, only seven-years-old. He didn't know anything about feelings.

_She's not the same little girl, Lee. Pull it together. Freakin' talk to her. You knew her when she wore glasses and ran around trailing after her father like a puppy._

"So, how's your father these days?"

"Great!" Alicia grinned at the mention of her father, who was an archeologist. "Finally managed to settle down somewhere for once. We actually moved here last month. Dad got a great job with the BBA. I did too, actually."

"Oh, really?" Lee perked up at this - she was in town. She worked for the BBA. She wouldn't be disappearing on some dig or expedition with her father again. "What are you guys doing?"

"Dad's teaching a course on Bit-Beasts, their origins, and the whatnot at the university and also coaching the new Beybladers on how to bond with their Bits and to control their power. He's a _great_ teacher."

She always did speak highly of her father, the only family she had.

"And what about you?"

"I'm a reporter. I cover the tournaments and interview the Beybladers. I'm excited about the next World Championships."

"How come?"

Alicia grinned, "Because I think I'm going to try out and compete."

Lee stared in slight surprise, "You blade?"

"It's more of a hobby. I think I want to blade just to see where my skills lie. Though, honestly, I would seriously love to see how good I stack against all you professional teams!"

"So do you…have a team or a partner or…?"

"Nope!"

Lee wanted to collapse sideways, simply laughing. "You do realize this is a tag-team competition, right?"

"Oh yeah. Dammit. Guess I gotta scout for a partner then!"

"How about we see how good you are first before you start stalking random bladers and bugging them?"

"Hey now! I don't do that anymore!" Alicia crossed her arms, before a wild grin crossed her face. "Actually, I'm like ten times worse. I like to think of myself as abstract minded and free willed!" She sobered and pouted, "My best friend labels me as deranged, psychotic, and a smart ass."

Lee chuckled again, realizing that he wasn't as nervous before. Their conversation was going well, without awkward pauses or stuttered words. It was nice and comfortable. Just like it had been back then.

Back then, Lee had been trying to control Galeon. He had run off and the black-haired boy had been led to an area he didn't know very well. It had been there that he had found the outsiders, who had gotten lost while trying to find their way to an excavation site. A brilliant scientist named Matt and his daughter Alicia.

Lee brought them back to the village. At first, his Grandfather had been accommodating to the strangers, until Matt became curious about their village and their history. He dug too far, asking personal questions about the neko-jins and their ancestry. It angered his grandfather. Once the foreigners had taken their leave, he then forbade Lee from ever seeing them again.

Lee couldn't just do that though. He was ashamed that he had gone behind his Grandfather's back the rest of the summer, sneaking off to the excavation site. Long summer days the lion had spent with the brunette before him, becoming the best of friends. The only person Lee had ever bonded with that way had been Ray.

Then, Alicia came.

When she left, he had been heartbroken. The odds of seeing one another again had been slim to none. Lee didn't realize how much he had cared about the American until she was gone. The memories haunted him and he felt a sense of abandonment.

First by Alicia, then later by Ray.

She was the cause of everything.

His emotional instability, his abandonment issues, and the first heartbreak he had ever felt since the death of his parents.

Now she was back again.

_For how long though?_

"So, Lee, are you off work today?"

"Just got off, actually. Why?"

"Well, I haven't seen you in ages! I actually wanted to hang out - if that's okay. Wouldn't want it to be awkward or anything."

Topaz eyes rolled a bit, "Alicia, have things ever been awkward between us?"

"You tell me - you were the shy one."

"Yes, Miss Dominant, I was the shy one. Of course I was! Your father and you were the only outsiders I had ever _seen_ back then."

Lee trailed off as he noticed her rubbing her arm, eyes lowering. He had never seen such a forlorn expression on her face before. He felt a strange feeling of discomfort at the sight of it.

"Lee…I just wanted to apologize… for never getting to say goodbye."

"No…no… it's okay…"

_It's not okay._

"Well, let me at least make it up to ya!" Alicia exclaimed - he realized she had tomboy qualities about her. She was still quirky, a little odd. It made him feel comfortable though. Anything remotely normal made him uncomfortable. "Let me make you dinner tonight."

"Make me dinner?"

"I've actually become quite the cook!" Alicia said, pride ringing in her tone as she grinned. "C'mon, whattya say?"

Lee shifted a bit, "I still gotta run some errands before I do."

"I'll tag along."

"Weren't you doing something?"

"Not really. I got bored at the house - and Sarah had work and all so…bored…so very bored…" Alicia even gave a little whimper as she recalled her boredom.

"Sarah?" Lee simply asked, finding her actions oddly…cute.

"Oh! My best friend. She's from my hometown. After graduation, Dad said she could come with us. She tagged along on a couple of expeditions and decided to settle down here in Bey City."

"Does she blade?"

"No."

"Well, maybe you could teach her. She could be your partner."

Those dual-colored eyes widened, the pupils expanding before Lee felt arms suddenly lock around him in what could only be a hug. The brunette had cheered, glomping him.

The blush that assaulted him caught him off-guard. He swore his heart was about to burst out of his chest. The only person who ever hugged him had been Mariah. The warmth he felt from their bodies pressed together made him shift, causing strange bodily reactions, especially as he caught her scent.

_She…smells really good… flowery…kinda like the lotus blossoms back home…_

"Um…A-Alicia…?"

"Geez! I'm sorry!" Alicia hopped back, rubbing the back of her head. "I got a little carried away. That's a brilliant idea, Lee! Thanks so much…" She shifted her eyes a bit, "Again, sorry. I'm like…really affectionate."

"No…no. It's okay. Just…caught me off-guard."

"Okay, anyway, so…dinner?"

He finally gave a nod.

"Swee-eet! Okay, so where do you need to go?"

"First I gotta go back to my place and drop off my work stuff. Then I gotta take Galeon to the Hobby Shop to get a tune-up, and then I have to check on Zhen."

"Zhen?" Alicia had a teasing grin on her face now, "Girlfriend?"

Lee shuddered, "Ugh! No way! Baby sister! Like practically adopted!"

Alicia laughed at his reaction, "Alright, alright. Man, you're easy to tease. Better watch that, Lee. Otherwise I may use it to my full advantage!"

He pouted, feeling his pride being poked at. "Quit picking on me, woman." He jabbed her in her side, with her giving a squeak and flinching away. A devious grin spread across his face, "Do I sense someone is ticklish?"

"No!"

"Lies!"

Lee lunged, drawing her in and tickling her mercilessly. She shrieked in laughter, squirming and going "nuuuuu!" with her actions making her seem much younger than twenty. She acted like she as seventeen - looked like it too. She managed to squirm free, darting behind the mail-box and glaring dangerously at him.

"No tickling me, jerk!"

He laughed, "Sorry couldn't resist."

"Ohmergeeeeeeerd," He rose a brow at that, especially when she raked her fingers through her bangs. "You're still bigger than me. What the hell? Don't tell me I got cursed with Hobbit blood or something."

Lee snorted at this - he couldn't help it. It was amusing, since he just realized he was a head taller than her. He was just a little over six-foot, while she was maybe five-four. Her father was a little on the short side as well, and assuming from the reference, they were both _Lord of the Rings_ fans.

"Stop laughing at me!" she whined.

"C'mon, my little Shireling." Lee couldn't help himself - it was too easy to get her riled up. "We have places to be and people to see."

"That rhymed! Lee is a poet," She danced from side to side as she spoke, "and he didn't even know it~!" She looked at him, "Huh? Huh? Nothing? Damn."

He gave her a dull look, "Move."

Alicia smiled as she did, the two of them heading down the street. Lee had a car - but with work so close to home he usually just walked. Plus, the weather was too nice to pass up. He liked being outside - though living in the city was way different than White Tiger Hills. Honestly, he disliked the fact he was the only one still having trouble adjusting. He was doing well, at his own pace. Mariah reassured him of that.

But he still…

He found it hard to go out to places with a lot of people. He never went to the clubs with his sister and Kevin - he always threatened the monkey that if Mariah got into any trouble, _he_ would be taking full responsibility. He didn't feel comfortable stopping by Tyson's all the time - he did visit occasionally, but only with Ray. The only place he tolerated a vast amount of people besides the Beystadium was the restaurant.

"So what have you been up to all these years?" Alicia asked, trying to make small talk as they headed for the apartment complex.

He glanced at her, seeing she was walking with her fingers laced, hands pressed to the back of her head. He also noticed she had a pair of neon blue headphones around her neck, the blue cord running to the expensive music player she had tucked into her jeans. She had the volume on low, but his finely tuned ears could still pick up the sounds of upbeat J-Pop music.

"Blading. Yourself?"

"Digging up bones,"

"Don't you ever see your mother?"

Her eyes darkened a bit, "No."

He felt the need to take a step away from her. That cheerful and happy-go-lucky smile had vanished, her eyes sharper and she looked a little frightening. Of course, he wouldn't admit this. He noticed she was walking a little quicker now.

"I take it…you still have issues with her then."

"Oh, back then? _Those_ were _not_ issues. Not in comparison to now."

"If you wanna talk about it…"

"No offense, but I don't want to talk or think about that woman. Thanks for offering though." Alicia glanced around the complex as they walked toward the buildings. "Nice place."

"It's pretty nice," Lee said, feeling a bit awkward now.

Her grin returned, "So, shackin' up with anyone?"

He sputtered a reply, "HELL NO!"

She roared with laughter at the look on his face, which was a brick-red shade that clashed horribly with his shirt. Clutching her sides, the brunette then straightened, trying to keep a straight face. She then started laughing again, unable to hold it in while he stood there, fist clenching and having the strong urge to pick her up by the back of her shirt and watch her try and escape. The thought alone was highly amusing, calming the hot-tempered lion down.

"Okay, so if you don't like that Zhen chick-"

"…so creepy…"

"-and you're not shacking up with anyone-"

"Like hell I'd do that."

"-then do you have a secret girlfriend or something you're just embarrassed to talk about?"

Lee stopped short, giving her an odd look. "Seriously, Ali, do I really look like the kind of guy who would _hide_ the fact I have a girlfriend? If I did, I mean. I don't, F.Y.I."

She stopped herself, shifting her weight to her right leg as her eyes lifted toward the sky, watching a cloud with a little too much interest.

"Y'know, I really don't think anyone else other than Dad's ever called me 'Ali' before. I usually go by Li - kind of can't, since that's like your name and all - so… maybe Lici? Sarah did come up with that. Meh. It'll grow on me."

"What's wrong with 'Ali'?"

"Nothing… 'cept I don't let anybody call me that 'cept my Dad. It's his special petname for me - has been since I was a baby."

Lee blinked, feeling a little hurt that she felt that way. He thought that 'Ali' suited her just fine. He didn't care too much for her other nicknames. In all honesty, he preferred her full name. 'Alicia' was beautiful, sounding exotic and unique. It was a Germanic name, meaning noble and kind, much like the brunette herself.

Okay, he really needed to stop listening to Hilary's name lessons whenever she came into the restaurant with Salima, chatting about future baby names.

"Buuuut… I think I can make an exception. Since you're like…my childhood friend and all."

Lee couldn't help but smile, "Really?"

She gave a nod, "Just…don't overuse it, okay? I don't even let my other friends call me that."

"Promise,"

"Okay, tik tok~" Alicia paused and then surprised Lee by singing, obviously reminded of a popular song, "on the clock, but the party don't stop, no~"

"What the hell?" he couldn't help but state, blinking.

"Hey! I like that song!"

"No. Just the fact…you just did that. Sang. Without music or…anything. Perfectly. The fact that you sounded _really_ good too."

Apricot cheeks flooded pink at the compliments, "You actually know that song?"

"…you _do_ know who my sister is, right?"

Alicia face-palmed, "Doi. Forgot." the brunette paused again, "Does she still have pink hair?"

"It's her natural hair color, Alicia."

"How come I wasn't born with blue hair? Dammit! Nope. Of course. The cool traits bypass over me and instead I'm cursed with the mutant traits!"

Despite how comical her rant was, Lee couldn't help but find himself confused a bit.

"What about you is mutated?"

She pointed at her eyes.

"How many other people do you know with heterochromia?"

"Erm…"

"_Exactly_."

"Alicia, you're not a freak. Your eyes…they're beautiful."

She awkwardly rubbed the back of her head, ruffling her layered locks as she did. "You…really think so…?"

"I do." Lee managed a small smile, before pulling out his house keys. He unlocked the door to the apartment on the end, holding open the door for her. "After you."

Blinking, the tomboy skipped inside, taking a look at the small yet quaint apartment. Despite being the one who had trouble adjusting, Lee did enjoy technology - not as much as Kevin did though. Monkey Boy had turned his room in practically an electronics store. It was amazing that Gary and he could afford the electric bill.

The living room had crème carpeting, the walls an off-white that had some Chinese tapestries and other relics decorating the walls - it was obvious Mariah had decorated the apartment so that her brother would feel a little more at home. There was an old worn green couch, a coffee table, an entertainment center that had a television, along with - much to Alicia's surprise - an Xbox 360. There was an entire shelf of DVDs, most of it anime-related (she thanked the gods that Lee was also an anime fan), and the other shelf had video games. He didn't have an extensive collection, but she recognized a lot of the titles from where Sarah played them. She was a Playstation girl herself. There was a breakfast nook that separated the kitchenette from the living room, with a standard fridge, counter, stove, and then there was a little room off the kitchenette - the laundry room. A small hallway branched off the living room, where the bathroom was, with a small closet, and the door to the bedroom.

"I like it."

Lee blinked as Alicia then surprised him, slipping off her shoes and leaving them on the mat by the door. She wore blue and black striped toe-socks that matched her vest, wiggling her toes into the soft carpeting as she looked around. Lee let her, heading for the bedroom. He stepped inside, opening his bag to withdraw his work clothes, tossing them into his hamper to wash later.

"Okay, you need posters stat. This room is dull in comparison to the living room."

"That's because Mariah wanted to paint the room and other things that would've gotten me kicked out," Lee replied, glancing at the girl lingering in the doorway. "I haven't had much time to decorate it to my liking."

The room was smaller than the living room, but had enough space for a twin-sized bed, which was against the far wall with a dark green quilt and two pillows. There were two windows - one that had an AC unit in it, while the other had mahogany blinds closed over it. There was a closet with sliding doors, a mirror that didn't seem to fit Lee hanging on the right side. It obviously had belonged to Mariah or one of her friends. The closet was open partway, revealing modern clothes of various earth-tones and some clothes of Oriental origin as well. Lee had just placed his flats inside the closet.

He had a desk, but it only had a desk lamp, a Beyblade repair kit, some spare parts, a first-aid kit, and miscellaneous objects lying on it.

"This room depresses me. We have tons of movie posters and anime posters I don't use. You can have 'em."

"Uhh…thanks?"

Lee took the time to sniff his shirt, crinkling his nose at the minor sweaty musk it had. He needed to remember to grab deodorant to store in his work bag, especially on hot days. Not really thinking about it, Lee grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling it overhead.

"Whoa,"

Blinking and feeling heat creep up his neck, Lee turned to see Alicia basically ogling him. He felt goosebumps cover his skin as her eyes slowly took in his muscular chest, which was lined with faint scars. He had worse ones on his forearms, along with cuts that took a long time to heal - hence why he wore bandages around them. Most people assumed it was a fashion trend, he just went with it.

"You are _ripped_."

"Um…"

Lee shifted a bit, tossing the shirt into the hamper and moving to his closet. He heard Alicia give an awkward cough, quickly turning away as he pulled on a black muscle shirt and applied some deodorant and body spray that Ray had gotten him. He turned back around to see that she was leaning against the doorway, chewing on a section of her hair.

"Taste good?"

"Wha-?" She blinked, realizing what she was doing and quickly stopped, running her fingers through it. "So… Hobby Shop?"

"Yeah,"

Lee walked over to the desk, opening a drawer that had his launcher, Galeon, cell phone and charger. He honestly hated the device, but Mariah had gotten them a family plan and paid the bill - it was the only way the pinkette felt comfortable with her big brother living alone. He didn't text much and phone calls were a rarity - unless of course it was work asking him to pick up or cover a shift. He usually did without minding too much - he didn't do much else.

"I like your phone," Alicia pulled out hers, it neon blue trimmed with black. "Can I have your number?"

He was startled by the rush of heat that hit him from that innocent question. He nodded furiously, managing to give it to the brunette without stammering. His face was still warm though. Dammit.

What was wrong with him?

He had to talk to pretty girls _all the damn time_ at work. Why was talking to Alicia any different?

She gave a giggle and sang teasingly, "Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but here's my number, so call me maybe?"

"Shut up."

She laughed as he scrunched up his nose.

"I _hate_ that song."

"Aw, why you hating on the song?"

"Because! It gets stuck in your head! And… and… and it's annoying!"

She continued to laugh, "I am going to have _sooo _much fun singing to you."

"Woman. Just…give me your number."

"Call me maybe?"

"UGH!"

Cackling, Alicia doubled over in the doorway. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, having that weird sense as if he was having a conversation with Mariah or something. The girls' taste in music was similar.

And just as annoying.

Once the numbers were exchanged, Lee grabbed his keys and wallet. Alicia and he slipped on their shoes before leaving, with him locking up. They walked down the steps and Lee began to head for the black '69 Camaro parked there.

"Whoa,"

It was the second time she said that word, with topaz orbs noticing she was ogling the car much like she had been ogling his bare chest.

"Damn, this baby is slick! Where'd you get her?" Alicia exclaimed while she had that wild grin in place again.

"Hiro helped me get it. He knows a guy,"

"Damn," she said again, sliding into the passenger seat. She even wiggled around a bit, "I am in love with your car. You're lucky I love my bike too much."

Lee started the car, putting the car into reverse and backing out, before turning to head for the exit. "Bike?"

"Get this - for my graduation present, my Dad got me a motorcycle."

Lee nearly slammed on the brakes, "A motorcycle?"

The fact that she rode a death trap like that sent him on edge.

"Relax. I've had plenty of practice and I'm a safe driver. I know to look out for everyone else - that's the main cause of motorcycle related accidents, you know."

She sounded so calm - so collected. It was as if she was completely unaware of the danger she would be in.

"Just…promise me you'll be careful."

"Let me take you for a ride sometime then. You won't worry so much then."

Lee gave a sound of agreement, but he didn't sound fully convinced about the motorcycle. He was driving toward the outskirts of town now, where Max's father, Taro, owned the Hobby Shop. It was the only one in town he trusted with his blade.

"So I couldn't believe it was really you. I mean, last I saw you were on television, during the championships."

He blinked, daring to steal a glance at her. She was leaning against the door, the window rolled down with the breeze teasing her hair, her cheek pressed against her palm. She was staring distantly ahead, as if looking but not really seeing.

"You…watched my matches? You realized it was me?"

"How many Lee Wongs from White Tiger Hills are there?"

"Not many…"

"So yeah, of course I knew it was you, silly. It sucked that I was never in any of the areas you guys were. Otherwise…we would've seen each other _way_ sooner."

Lee smiled a bit at this - he wished she had been too.

He didn't realize how much he really missed her till right now. Sure, she was different, but so was he. She still had some of those quirky habits that she had when she was little. He was sure he did too.

They were familiar strangers now.

"How long have you been blading?" Lee asked, making a turn and trying to find a parking space close to the ship.

"Hmm…I think it's been four years. Yeah, four years. I started when I was sixteen."

"What's your blade?"

"Endurance type,"

"Strategy?"

"Offensive," she replied, her tone indicating that the answer was obvious enough.

Lee parked the car, turning to give her a smirk. "Got a Bit?"

She surprised him, "Yup!"

"…no way."

"Yes way," Alicia poked his nose. "I got him here in Japan, but in Kyoto."

"Seriously. You're like…not pulling my leg, are you?"

"Why would I?" she blinked innocently.

It was a scary knowing she could look so innocent and be so far away from it.

They climbed out of the car, Lee grumbling and rubbing his arm. He hated having his nose poked, and she sensed it. He was startled when the brunette suddenly latched onto his arm. Blinking, gold eyes looked down at her.

"Okay…did you just switch personalities or something?"

Perhaps her best friend was right and she really was insane.

"No…I just…I get shy…"

Now he was seeing more of the Alicia he had known thirteen years ago. She clung to his arm as they walked into the shop. In all honesty, he didn't have the heart to shake her off, so he let her cling to him.

It _was_ kind of cute.

"Oh, hey there Lee!"

Lee blinked, taken aback by the sight of the blond instead of his father. Max was only nineteen; one of the youngest, but also had the most maturity. That freckled face lit up as he took in Alicia, who was looking around the store with wide eyes.

"Who's the cute girl?"

Lee felt a twinge of jealousy, especially as the brunette finally noticed Max and was staring at him like she was seeing a movie star. Before she could unleash any disturbing fangirl wrath upon the Asian-American, Lee shifted his arm and put it around her shoulders. Alicia blinked rapidly, face turning pink immediately at the closeness.

"My girlfriend," Lee smirked.

She turned to look at him, her expression priceless, it clearly reading "since when?!". She was so stunned she couldn't speak - which was the reaction he had been hoping for. He had the feeling she would've traumatized Max otherwise.

"Lucky~" Max teased, winking at her. "Alas, I am taken by the beautiful Mariam."

"Who would kick your ass knowing you're still being a little flirt," Lee replied, knowing full well how violent the Saint Shield could be.

Max was _so_ lucky Mariam was currently in South America.

Oh, and the fact Lee didn't want to see his hyperactive ass beaten to death for always hitting on all the female staff at the restaurant. He was almost as bad as that Enrique character from the Majestics.

"Anyways, I'm Max. It's nice to meet you." Max said, offering his hand.

Alicia merely gave a "meep!" and then hid her face into Lee's back as she darted behind him. He snickered, finding this very amusing as Max blinked, tipping his head to the side in a very puppy-like manner. The brunette continued to hide behind Lee, her shyness stepping into play in a way that left her cowardly.

He snorted a bit - it was hard to believe the smart ass tomboy had a shy side.

Yet here it was, causing her to hide behind him like a mouse.

_Should start calling her Mousey instead of Ali. Hah. She'd try and kick my ass._

It was strange - they barely knew each other, and yet he could read her so easily.

"So what can I do for you and your…girlfriend."

"I need a tune-up for Galeon. Oh and…get me that launcher with the sniper grip."

"Sniper grip doesn't seem to be your style, Lee."

"Not for me."

"Kev?"

"Nope. Ali."

"Ali?" Max pointed at the meeping brunette, "Mouse girl?"

"She does sound like a mouse, doesn't she?"

"Shuddup! I do not! I hate you!"

She had finally found her voice. Lee turned around and saw she was standing with her fists balled up, scrunching up her face. He tried, he honestly did, not to laugh.

"Bwhahaha!"

"JERK!"

"S-Sorry…sorry…" Lee coughed and then started to laugh again, hearing her whine and call him a meanie, reminding him of Mariah. "Bwhahaha!"

Alicia pouted, sniffling and feigning tears as Max chuckled himself, giving the black blade it's tune-up before ringing up the black and blue launcher.

"What are Sarah's favorite colors?"

"…Purple and black…"

Alicia blinked as Lee started to look at the starter-kits.

"Whatcha doin'?"

"What's she like…as a person?"

"…Mother hen."

Those words made Lee crack up again, especially as he saw her expression was like she was reliving horrifying memories as she thought of her best friend. Once she shook it off, the brunette ruffled her hair.

"She's also bookish. Shy at first, but once you get to know her she's a chatter box. Especially about anime. And yaoi. Dear gods, always the yaoi. I swear, I am never browsing her laptop again. I _saw_ things. Things that never will be _unseen_."

"Oh-kay den…I'ma go call my girlfriend now…" Max was starting to back away.

"No, no! She's really a sweet person! She's just abrasive with those she's close to because she wants them to make the right choices! She's a little eccentric, yeah, but I love her!"

Max laughed, "Easy there, Ali. Don't blow a gasket. I was only joshin'."

The brunette slumped onto the counter, beating her head into it. Max indicated to her with his thumb, looking at Lee and mouthing "she's cute, but a little out there". Lee simply sweatdropped at that.

"Okay, ring this up too."

Lee had picked out a defensive starter kit, one that had a purple blade with a black defense ring. Alicia lifted her head, her eyes widening at the total in all. She opened her mouth to say something about it - her stubborn pride rushing into motion - but Lee once again beat her to it.

"So, my girlfriend, where shall we be going out to eat tonight?"

"DAMN YOU!"

He laughed as she stormed out of the store. Max simply gave him a look.

"She's not really your girlfriend, is she?"

"Nope! I only said that to save you."

"Save me?"

"My otaku senses were tingly."

"What are you, the Asian Spiderman when it comes to fangirls or something?"

Lee shrugged in an "iono" way.

Chuckling, Max watched as the lion pulled out his wallet to pay. "How do you know her?"

Lee smiled a bit, paying, and then took his purchases, "Knew her when we were kids. This is the first time we've seen each other in years."

Max chuckled, that friendly smile in place. "Well, she's a little odd but… it's obvious she cares about you. She's just a bit awkward."

_Just like me._

"Yeah, she is. But it's cute in its own little way."

"So you _do_ think she's cute!"

Lee rolled his eyes, "Whatever you're thinking, quit. We're just friends."

"Okay~" Max sang, closing his eyes as he turned away. "But you know… I think maybe she'd like to be more than that."

Lee turned to look at the blond as if he had just sprouted a second head or a dorsal fin.

"…you are one sad, strange little man, Max…"

"Hey!"

"I'm out. See ya."

"Later, Lee. Tell Ray I said Hi!"

"Will do."

Lee tried to shake Max's words out of his head, especially as he spotted Alicia leaning against the front of his car. She was still pouting as he approached.

"Either get in or walk," Lee said, his tone chipper.

She rolled her eyes, walking around to the passenger side and climbing in. Lee replaced Galeon back into his backpack, leaving it in the seat before dropping the bag of purchases into her lap.

"I can't accept these,"

"And I'm not taking them back. Besides, I spent the most on your friend."

"She's going to _so_ think you're creeping on her if I give it to her."

"Then say it's from you. Say it's…a birthday present."

"She was born in February."

"Ugh, graduation present then."

"We graduated two years ago!"

"JUST GIVE HER THE DAMN KIT, WOMAN!"

Alicia flinched and held up her hands, "Whoa, crazy person."

_Takes one to know one._

"Settle down there."

Lee simply growled, glaring out through the windshield, gripping the steering wheel a little bit more firmly than needed. Alicia fidgeted a bit.

"Thank you," she finally said.

He relaxed, "You're welcome."

"Um…Lee…?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you…tell Max Tate that I was your girlfriend?"

"To keep you from fangirling."

"Seriously?"

"Yup. I recognized that look. Ray's crazy fans get them before they shriek and try to rip off his clothes."

She looked hurt, "I would never do that!"

"I had to make sure! I'm sorry, okay?"

"Don't toy with me like that."

"Eh? Toy with you?"

"I don't… I mean… ugh! Forget it."

Lee tipped his head to the side, giving her a look. She pointed ahead, where the light had changed. Lee was heading back toward the apartment complex now. The brunette was quiet before she realized where they were headed.

"I thought we were gonna stop in and check on that Zhen girl?"

"We are. She lives with my sister."

"Mariah hasn't smothered the poor thing to death, has she?"

"No. Not yet, anyway."

Lee pulled back into his parking space, grabbing his backpack. Alicia went to grab the other bag, but he shook his head.

"Leave it. I'm driving you home later."

"You don't have to. I can walk."

"You do realize it's already like…six something, right? No way in hell I'm letting you _walk_ home. Especially since you're making dinner for me. By the time you go home, it'll be dark. So no. Leave it."

"Yes, sir." she rolled her eyes, leaving the bag before climbing out.

Lee locked the doors. He headed for the building next to his, walking toward the middle apartment. Each building had three apartments in the front and three in the back. There were a total of ten buildings, plus the main office. Lee knocked three times, paused, and then shrugged. Alicia shifted awkwardly behind him as he dug around a tiger lily vase, pulling out a spare key.

"Lee, should we really just walk in like this?"

"It's my sister's place - I will damn well walk in if I want to."

"Yeah, but what if your sister had like a guy over and they were getting it on and -" Alicia sweatdropped, realizing the door was wrenched open at lightning speed and the black-haired boy had zipped inside. "…okay then…"

She poked her head inside, seeing a nicely furnished two-bedroom unit. It was much like Lee's, but bigger. She heard doors opening and then a sigh of relief, along with a sleepy voice asking what was wrong. A few seconds later, Lee wandered back into the living room where Alicia was standing in the doorway, feeling intrusive.

She was surprised to find a small blunette - with her immediately jealous because she wanted natural blue hair too - that reminded her of a China doll with how small, frail, and pale she was. She was adorable - adorable in a way that Alicia immediately knew Lee was not attracted to.

No, this girl was more Kevin's type.

"Zhen, I want you to meet my childhood friend, Alicia."

"It's nice to meet you, Zhen." Alicia said, her tone actually very sweet.

Lee blinked a bit - he had never seen _this_ side to her. Zhen smiled and the two girls talked a little bit, while Lee watched the exchange with interest and feeling slightly disturbed by it. He never realized that the tomboy had a maternal side to her either.

After ten minutes, Alicia immediately dubbed Zhen as her new 'little sister' before the two exchanged numbers, even sent each other Facebook requests and added each other as family on their pages. Lee sweatdropped a bit.

"Zhen, you try and get some more sleep. You open tomorrow with Kevin."

"You're right, I should." the petite girl smiled kindly, "Goodnight~"

"Night!" Alicia exclaimed, grinning as they took their leave. Lee could only shake his head as they walked over to his apartment, "I like her! She's adorable and sweet!"

"You make friends fast," he replied.

She shrugged, "Kind of a habit you know? I grew up never staying in one place for to long. Like a nomad. Kind of hard to make friends."

"So… how come you're so close to Sarah then?"

"Because I did go back to my hometown a lot whenever Mom had visitation. Not that I stayed home much. I was practically living at Sarah's."

Lee went to put his bag back in his room, watching as Alicia strolled over to the kitchenette. She started to poke around the cabinets and fridge, deciding what to cook. Lee leaned against the counter of the nook, arms crossed as he watched her.

"Why do you hate your mother so much?"

"…don't wanna talk about it…"

He sighed - he hated secrets.

_Curiosity killed the cat, y'know._

He always hated whenever Tao-sensei would get in his head.

"I'm raiding your seafood," Alicia then grinned over her shoulder.

"Make whatever you like," Lee simply smiled.

It was nice, talking like this. The fact that they had crossed paths again made him happy. It was…comforting knowing he had someone to talk to that wasn't family or a teammate.

Like he had finally made some connection with the outside world.

Alicia made shrimp with rice, him watching her movements carefully. He felt more comfortable reading a person's body language and getting to know them that way. It was also fun being able to figure out her reactions, and which sides of her personality were more dominant than others. It wasn't that she had multiple personalities - no. It was more along the lines of she was putting on different masks, portraying different sides of herself to different situations.

All the masks eventually would come together and reveal the Alicia he knew was underneath the surface. The girl that hid herself behind a smart mouth and odd ways to protect herself.

He knew of other people who did similar things.

Something had happened to her to make her this way. Something had taken the sweet and bright girl he knew all along and tainted her, a darker side lingering and showing herself every so often. Something had twisted her.

The more he saw, the less he liked.

They ate dinner, sitting on the stools at the nook, with Alicia making a comment about donating furniture to him. He simply rolled his eyes and ate, them talking more about their lives. She had grown up traveling with her father, but her mother lived in America, in the state of Connecticut. Alicia apparently had a half-sister by the name of Erin, along with stepsiblings she didn't like to talk about. She also didn't like to talk about her stepfather.

She was the happiest whenever she talked about her father and their discoveries, her pet cat, and her best friend.

He talked mainly about his blading and the restaurant.

By the time they realized what time it was, it was already after nine. Lee couldn't help but wonder where the time had gone. It had already been almost three hours, and yet it felt as if she had just gotten there.

"Alright, c'mon. Better get you home before your father gets worried."

"Dad won't,"

"Okay, _Sarah_ then."

Those words sent her running out the door. Lee sighed, smiling a bit as he retrieved her shoes for her. She stood on the sidewalk, bouncing slightly in "hurry up!" kind of manner. She was a little immature at times, but Lee had come to realize that this was a ruse. Deep down she was far more mature than most girls her age.

She was trying to keep him smiling and laughing. It was as if she was feeding off his positive energies. He went along with it - it was hard not to smile around her.

Once they were in the car with her converse back on her feet, Alicia gave him directions to her house. He was surprised to find out she lived close to Ray and Mystel. Even more surprised to find out she lived _right_ next door to Tyson.

Tyson knew her too. They chatted like they were best friends.

Lee looked between them, feeling that strange twinge again. The same one he had felt when they first encountered Max. One that was a twinge of jealousy.

He wasn't even sure what the hell he was jealous about.

Alicia explained that Tyson's father and hers had worked together on some expeditions, so they were friends of the family. She had actually spent a great deal of time with Hiro - it was obvious she had a deep respect for the older man. Tyson heard Hilary calling for him. He said bye and took off back inside the dojo.

"That was…interesting."

"Tyce is awesome. He's like one of my best friends."

Alicia walked to the house next door. It was quaint, a one-story that was a light blue with dark shutters. There was a tree in the front yard that had a swing on it, with a cat snoozing on it. Alicia picked up the cat, cuddling it while it yowled, clearly wanting to be released.

"This is Black Magic!"

"Um…" Lee blinked as the black cat with green eyes was shoved in his face. "Hi…Black Magic."

Alicia pulled him back, nuzzling him. "I love my Black Magic! Sadly, I'm allergic to cat dander so he's an outdoor kitty." She finally set him down, the cat darting underneath the porch and death glaring her as she headed for the front door.

Lee turned to leave, but he felt her clinging to his arm again. "Nuuu! You have to come say hi to Daddy!"

"Alicia…"

He turned to tell her no, only to freeze.

_Holy shit. I can't believe it._

She out-cuted _Mariah_.

Her lower lip was jutted out, her eyes tearing up in a puppy dog pout.

_She is going to be the death of me._

She always had that magic though, the one that caused him to do reckless things he normally wouldn't. Each and every time, he succumbed to it too, no matter how many times he tried to resist.

Because seeing her smile was like seeing sunshine for the first time.

Seeing her tears hurt.

"Alright, alright! We'll go say hi to your father."

"Thank you!" Alicia grabbed his wrist, pulling him onto the porch. "Daddy! Sarah! I'm home from wandering about terrorizing people gleefully!"

…_the __**hell**__ did I just agree to?_

He knew it was just an act to mess with people, but damn did she pull off the whole "I'm deranged" thing too well.

Lee awkwardly stepped inside the house, seeing it was nicely furnished with Western furniture. He saw a man turn in a computer chair, where he was playing a video game of some kind. He looked a lot like Alicia, but his hair was sandy brown and kind of fluffy, short and neat. Just like his daughter, he looked very young for his age. His eyes were a hazel brown and he had thick brows. He was of short stature, wearing a cross necklace with a gray tank top. He was stocky in build but looked like he could hold his own.

"Hey, baby." Matt greeted, giving her a hug as she kissed his cheek. "Have fun in town?"

"Yeah. Still no luck finding a second job though."

"Don't worry, you'll find one. You're trying, that's what matters."

"Second job?" Lee couldn't help but speak up.

Alicia turned to answer him, "Yeah. I'm looking for a part-time job to bring some extra money in. I mean, we do okay, but it'd be nice to save up in case I want to take a trip or something. Why? Do you know a place?"

_I've gotta be crazy._

"I can talk to Ray and get you a job at the _Tiger Lily_."

Alicia literally jumped onto the couch, hopping over the back and tackled him. Lee gave an "oof!" as he hit the wall, sliding down it with the short brunette huggling him and squealing her gratitude.

"Crazy lady, get off him before he dies!"

Lee blinked upon hearing a new voice. This girl had a Southern accent, but her voice was actually really sweet underlying the sharp tone. Alicia immediately listened to the voice, Lee blinking a bit as he got to his feet. Alicia had flopped onto the love-seat, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Daddy, you 'member Lee, right?"

"How could I forget? You cried for a month after we left China."

Lee was taken aback by those words, but he felt a strange smile cross his lips. He turned in surprise to see a curvy brunette in the doorway of the kitchen. She was wearing an apron, wearing a band t-shirt with a pair of violet denims. Her hair was much lighter than Alicia's, a chestnut shade, and it had streaks of purple and white throughout it, falling around her freckled face in a bob cut, with slight layers. She wore a pair of plastic framed glasses, which actually enhanced her features. Her nose was tiny and pixie-like, and she had sharp ice blue eyes.

"Lee…meet Sarah."

She stepped forward, dusting her hands off on her apron before holding one out politely with a shy smile on her face. "Sorry about her. She's restless and has _way_ too much energy." They shook hands.

"You love me and you know it!"

She chose to ignore this outburst.

"My name is Sarah Kenyon. It's nice to meet you."

"You too. I'm -"

"Lee Wong, from White Tiger X. I do know who you are." Sarah smiled again, "Thanks for bringing our resident crazy person home. It's also nice to finally hear about Alicia's childhood cr-"

"HEY LOOK AT THIS NEW BEYBLADE THAT LEE BOUGHT YOU!"

"GET OFFA ME BEFORE I HURT YOU!"

Lee sweatdropped at the sight before him, glancing at Matt playing his game and not noticing that his daughter had just football tackled her best friend to the ground and shoved the starter kit in her face. Sarah shoved the other girl off, with Alicia rolling and sliding into the kitchen on her stomach.

Her head ended up getting jammed through the doggy door in the back, with her shouting things like "nice doggy…good doggy…OH MY GOD! SOMEBODY HELP! THAT'S NOT MEANT TO BE EATEN!" and there were the sounds of ferocious barking and snarls. Lee zipped into the kitchen with lightning speed, freeing her before any real damage could be done.

The poor girl was shaking and hiding her face into his chest, with his tawny hand smoothing down her hair. Even he was breathing heavily.

Sarah walked into the kitchen, a stoic expression on her face. Alicia peeked and glared at her.

"Woman! I could've died from your crazy ass mutt!"

"My Hikaru is not a mutt! ~ He is loveable."

"HE JUST TRIED TO EAT MY FACE OFF!"

"…Meh."

"…bitch."

"Moron."

"Sadistic bitch."

"Dumbass."

"I hate you."

"Good."

"And your stupid rat dog."

Alicia was smacked upside the head with a ladle at that one. Lee face-palmed, very confused as to why he was even witnessing the exchange between the two. It was also very weird that the bookworm had taken the insults to herself without batting an eye but became scary upon an insult to her dog.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that," Sarah said politely. "Thank you so much for the Beyblade…though I'm a little confused as to why you bought it for me."

"Alicia said she needs a tag-team partner for the next world tournament. I gave her the bright idea to have it be you."

Sarah blinked a bit and smiled, "I appreciate it. We haven't had the money for me to get my own blade. This is a sweet present."

Lee smiled, "I'm glad you like it."

"Can I have my friend back now?" whined the deranged one.

Sarah rolled her eyes, "He should go home. It's late and you have dish duty."

Alicia groaned a bit, "Alright, fine. I'll do them. Just…please don't hit me again."

She started to walk him out, with Matt - finally - noticing the events around him and saying his own goodbye. He welcomed Lee back anytime before going back to killing things on _Diablo III_. Sarah also said her goodbyes before disappearing off to her room.

Once the front door was shut behind them - Alicia walking Lee to his car - she released a sound that was a mix between a groan and a whimper.

"Are you actually hurt?" Lee asked, surprised by the amount of concern he felt for her.

"My pride more than anything."

He could relate to that.

"I'm sorry…normally I'm not that…crazy…"

"What…set it off?"

"Embarrassment. I joke around about being crazy and sometimes act like it just to mess with Sarah. It's like…our thing as besties and all… but I mean…it's never gotten _that_ out of hand."

Lee shrugged it off, "You do realize who my sister is, right?"

"Yeah…guess you're used to it."

"Plus Kevin and Gary."

Alicia smiled at him, this smile much different from her wild grin. It was soft and sweet. He found it suited her more, making her seem prettier. Lee climbed into the driver's side, with Alicia leaning down to talk to him through the window.

"So you're really going to talk to Ray about getting me a job?"

"I'm the assistant manager and…you know what. Screw it." Lee grinned at her, "You're hired."

Alicia gawked at him, "You…serious?"

He nodded, "Your first day is on Monday."

"I could kiss you right now!"

Awkward pause.

"…wut…"

"…Goodnight!"

Lee could only blink as the brunette leaned in, swiftly pressing her lips to his cheek, before taking off back to the house.

Five minutes later, he was _still_ sitting in front of her house with a blood red face.

_No one's ever…kissed me before…_

Not even on the cheek.

For some reason, the fact it was Alicia that had done it stunned him even more. His heart was racing in his chest. He could barely breathe.

The sound of his phone alerting him he had a text managed to bring him back to reality. He checked it, surprised to find a message from Alicia - well, her phone anyway.

_-It's Sarah. About earlier… sorry you had to witness it. We're normally more civilized in front of guests. Alicia doesn't want you knowing she had a crush on you when you guys were kids. Once again sorry. I'm deleting this now, so she doesn't know I told you. Oh and btw why are you still in front of our house? Go home already silly :p -_

Lee wasn't sure how he felt, knowing that Alicia used to like him.

_Does she still like me?_

"Nah…there's no way."

Lee finally started to car and left.

* * *

_A/N: So…Alicia and Sarah are actually… me and my best friend DaQiao17! XD And yes, we actually do act like that. Though I'm a lot less…crazy… than Alicia is portrayed in the story. It's like the Beyblade realm, everyone's crazy and overdramatic XD Sorry this chapter ended up being so long. I like long chapters, what can I say? Anyways, really hoping to get some reviews! There shall be more White Tiger cameos in the next chapter. _

_Chapter Translations: Ni hen piào liang - you are so beautiful_

_Next Chapter: Haven't Had Enough_

_~Mistress of the Arts_


	3. Chapter III: Haven't Had Enough

_Disclaimer: Beyblade does not belong to me in any way, shape, or form. Takes place in modern day - meaning all characters are over the age of 18. Warning: Contains swearing, suggestive themes, mature themes, and other things that little kiddies should not be exposed to. Read at your own risk._

_A/N: I'm on a roll OwO I think I'm Lee-crazy. Literally. Pffft~ alas, this is the life of a Beyblade fanfiction authoress XD I have no life. Plus I know once I get married my hubby isn't gonna like me lusting after anime guys XD Soo…shhhhh! It's a secret! Okay, onto the next chappie!_

* * *

_Chapter III_

_Haven't Had Enough_

"Lee…?"

It was ten o'clock in the morning. Alicia had arrived at the _Tiger Lily_ shortly before nine, looking like she had been too excited to sleep. Upon seeing the slight circles under her eyes, Mariah had immediately grabbed her to do the girl's concealer for her and then changing her clothes for her.

Lee had been waiting outside of the washroom for ten minutes now.

She was damned lucky that they had no customers.

He happened to be the one who opened the damn store at 5:30 sharp.

He blinked, hearing her voice and turning to see she her blue orb was peering at him from the crack in the door. He could tell her cheeks were flushed and she looked nervous.

"Do I really have to wear this…?"

"Why? What's wrong with it?"

"I… It's a dress…"

One thick brow rose, "Is that a problem?"

"It's…too short."

_Dear gods, what the hell did my sister put her in?_

"Open the door. Let me see."

"Nuuuuu!"

"Alicia," He sighed, his patience wearing thin. "Just…open the door. Please?"

He pushed a little, surprised that the door swung open. Alicia was hiding her face in her hands, a lotus blossom clipped behind her ear. She was wearing a sapphire Oriental dress with teal trim, a blue dragon design on the dress that went to a few inches above her knees. She was wearing dark blue flats.

_She looks hot._

That thought startled him, quickly shaking it out of his head. Lee glanced over his shoulder and stepped into the women's washroom, trying to console her. Alicia peeked through her fingers just as Lee gently gripped her wrists, pulling her hands from her blushing face. He gave a tender smile, one that made her heart pound in her ears.

"You look _fine_."

"I've never waited tables before. Are you sure…the customers will like me?"

_They're going to be trying to get your number._

Out of all of the outfits his sister could have made for Alicia, it had to be this one. It wasn't that Lee didn't like it - he freakin' loved it on her. What he wouldn't like is watching guys (and some girls) hitting on the brunette.

"They're going to love you. Just remember to breathe and smile. Don't worry, I'll help you out. Besides, we're starting you with the slow shifts until you're more comfortable, okay?"

Nodding, Alicia took a deep breath, before smiling at him. "Thank you, Lee."

He smiled back, "Alright now…can I please leave the ladies' washroom before I get arrested or someone spreads a god-awful rumor?"

"Oh! Right! Quickly now!"

They quickly slipped out of the washroom.

Ray had been thrilled to have the help - he had taken one look at Alicia, gave a kind smile, and thanked her for joining the staff. It had been kind of hilarious to watch her stutter and stammer, clearly starstruck.

Mariah returned from the back, smiling as she immediately put an arm around the shorter female, and took her under her wing. Lee wandered back to his domain, watching as Zhen greeted Alicia as well. It seemed the brunette was hitting it off with the two. She managed to get through the first hour well. It honestly surprised Lee at how professional and polite Alicia was. She was _great_.

A little too great.

It had caught the attention of the male patrons. With every flirty gesture, every sweet smile she gave them, he felt his stomach twist unpleasantly. Suddenly, he found himself in a bad mood - one that Ray noticed.

"What ticked you off now?" Ray asked, leaning on the counter.

Lee had tangled up his yarn out of frustration and was trying to untangle it, which only added to his frustrations. The lion gave a growl and then slammed his forehead into the counter top. Ray tried not to laugh, managing to quickly quiet it down before Lee noticed.

"Why is it bothering me?" he moaned, his voice muffled.

"Why is what bothering you?"

"The _customers_."

"Lee, we don't even have any of the rowdy customers yet. Keep in mind you work day-shift mainly and don't have to deal with the crazy freaks at night."

Lee lifted his head, shifting his eyes and grumbling something about Mariah's fashion designs and something about being too good. Ray blinked, and then turned his perceptive gaze over at the new girl that Lee had hired. She was pretty and polite, sweet though Ray could tell it was really just her work ethic that made her that way. Outside of work she was probably crazier than Mariah.

"Ah, I see."

A grin that rivaled the Cheshire cat's appeared on Ray's face as he poked Lee.

"You're _jealous_."

"Jealous? Why would I be jealous?"

Ray rolled his eyes at the quick denial.

"Lee, you're jealous because you think Alicia is pretty and you don't like seeing other guys hitting on her."

"I'll admit she's pretty but it's not bothering me because I'm _jealous_."

"…you so are."

"I am so not."

"Yes, dude, you are."

"Seriously, bro, I am _not_."

"Then I guess I won't take Alicia off the floor and stick her as a dish washer with Kev." Ray started to walk away, hiding the smirk he had. "Too bad, Kev _really_ needed the help and all she'd have to wear is a t-shirt and jeans."

_Just tempt the kitty and…_

"Give Kevin the help, dammit! Don't leave him out to dry!"

_He pounces._ Ray snickered, _Knew it. He is jealous._

"Okay, fine. But I'm telling her to keep the outfit."

Lee simply glared.

_Ray, you can be such a bastard._

Lee continued to send Ray dirty looks the rest of the shift.

Him jealous? As if. He just thought their behavior was inappropriate.

Grumbling, Lee did feel some of his bad mood leave once Ray had talked to Alicia about moving her to be Kevin's assistant. She agreed immediately.

By break time, Lee was bored. Calm now, but bored. He clocked out for his half-an-hour lunch, but decided to go check in on the brunette and the monkey. Running a hand through his mane of black hair, Lee re-tightened his ponytail before pushing open the doors to the kitchens. They were getting ready for the lunch rush, with Ray covering the register while Lee was on lunch. He turned down the little corridor that had a blue curtain hanging over the doorway.

Suddenly, he found himself in Kevin's domain. Alicia was now clad in a round-neck gray-blue t-shirt with a pair of dark gray skinny jeans, wearing an apron around her waist to keep the front of her jeans from getting wet. Her hair was clipped back into a messy bun, her bangs pinned out of her face as she washed dishes.

Kevin's domain consisted of the tri-sink that had shelving above for the dishes to air-dry, a regular sink for them to wash their hands next to it in the corner. There was a prep table, containers on the shelving above and below it. There were two metal doors - one was the walk-in, the other was the freezer. On top of the walk-in was a CD player, which was hooked up to Kevin's i-Phone and they were listening to some pop music.

The door to the freezer had just opened; Kevin crouched down to lift a box of steak. He shut the freezer with his dark purple skate shoe - trimmed in neon green - wearing a pair of black skinny jeans that were baggy on him (it was hard to find clothes that fit him, so Mariah had introduced him to skinny jeans) with a violet graphic t-shirt. He had his bangs pinned on top of his head with one of Mariah's pink hair barrettes. Obviously he didn't care at work, because he usually worked alone, but he did care whenever Lee or Ray teased him for it.

So, for Alicia's sake since she would be the one trapped with the monkey boy for the next two hours, he kept his mouth shut about the sparkly pink hair barrette.

For now.

"What do you want, Lee?" Kevin asked, carrying the box to the prep table, where he got to work putting the meat into different containers.

"Watch it, Kev. I still have power over you."

"You can't fire me, even if you wanted to. It's in my contract with Mr. Polanski. Also helps that I'm friends with Oliver." Kevin stuck his tongue out, causing Alicia to laugh a bit. "Now why are you in _my_ domain?"

Neko-jins were _highly_ territorial.

"Hey, Lee, it's our song!" Alicia interrupted, just as _Call Me Maybe_ started to play.

"DEAR GODS NO! SHUT IT OFF!"Kevin and Alicia cackled as the lion fled the room, waiting till Kevin switched the song before venturing back inside, only much more warily than before. He pinned the greenette with a glare.

"Why the hell do you have that horrid song on your i-Phone anyway?"

"Riah wanted it. You do realize I hang out with her a lot, don't you?"

"Shut it, Monkey Boy."

"Watch it, Lion King. You're on my turf." For emphasis, Kevin snatched the spray nozzle and squirted it at Lee, getting his thigh wet. He hissed and growled, baring his fangs at him in response. "Now what do you want?"

"I _wanted_ to check on Ali."

"Who?"

"Alicia, dimwit."

Kevin looked at her, "I like 'Alicia' better."

She sighed, "As do I."

"Are you doing okay back here?"

"Mmhm! I like it better back here." She lifted a plate to hide her face, shifting her eyes as if she was horrified as she whispered, "I don't have to _see people_." The way she said it made the greenette snort as she put down the plate, "'Sides, Kev and I have totally hit it off."

To prove her point, Kevin and Alicia then did an intricate and complex handshake greeting thing. They ended it with a fist bump before the brunette turned back to her task.

"So…you're happy back here?"

"Hells yeah. Why?"

"Just…making sure."

Alicia grinned, "Aw, Lion Boy was worried about little ol' me." She poked his nose, a flirty grin in place. "So cute."

His cheeks warmed as he glared, "Don't poke my nose."

"Yo. You're cramping my style," Kevin stated - he was damn lucky that Lee technically was the one trespassing; otherwise the shorty would be hung up on the coat rack. "Get." He held the nozzle in a threatening fashion.

"Don't worry, Lee. We get off at the same time, right?"

"Yeah,"

"Then we can hang out after!"

Nodding, Lee left, a little reluctant to do so. He could hear Alicia and Kevin talking now about _Fallout: New Vegas_ - they really had hit it off. He was lucky Kevin was only eighteen, he supposed. He didn't have to worry about the greenette moving in on Alicia and -

_Why am I even worried about that?_

He scoffed. He wasn't jealous. Why would he be? Technically he barely knew the girl himself. It wasn't like he had any claim on her or anything.

Lee hesitated, about to turn back around and double-check on the two. He took maybe two steps when he heard One Direction's _Kiss You_, quickly turning back around.

He needed to have a talk with his sister about Kevin's taste in music.

"I'll check on her later."

* * *

The next two hours flew by due to the lunch rush. By two o'clock, Lee and Alicia were allowed to go free. They met in the locker room, where Lee changed while Alicia had her back turned, untying her apron and putting it in her locker, taking out a compact mirror from her out backpack to fix her hair after she unclipped it. Lee had changed into a pair of acid gray tattered jeans, and was pulling on a forest green graphic shirt. He didn't notice her watching him for a couple of seconds in the reflection of her mirror, before she closed it and tucked it in her bag.

"Ready?" she asked, not turning around as she slung the bag over her shoulders.

"Yeah. Sorry about the co-ed locker room."

"No, it's fine."

They left through the side entrance, with Alicia giving a tired yawn.

"Sleepy?"

"Mmm… jus' a bit. I was so excited about starting work, I couldn't sleep very well. Don't worry. Sarah gave me coffee so I wouldn't mess up." He gave her a look, "Sorry! I swear, it normally doesn't affect me like that!" Alicia made a face, with him snorting a bit. "So…can we stop by the bookstore?"

"Not _Yakamura's_ I hope."

"That bastard. I ordered a particular book for Sarah and it was the wrong one. He refused to give me a refund even though it was his fault for the mix-up." She yawned a bit and then stretched as they started to walk down the street, "No, there's a corner bookstore and café that Sarah works at. I promised I'd pick her up food and bring it to her after I got off, since she doesn't get off till eight tonight."

"Oh, sure."

Things were quiet, Lee listening to the brunette as she hummed along to the soft volume of music. He was surprised that he liked her music. He really liked her singing voice too. She was good.

"Did you take singing lessons?" he suddenly blurted out.

Blue and green orbs blinked, "Not exactly? Dad taught me how to sing. Where'd that come from anyway?"

"I was just thinking about how you're singing all the time. You have a nice voice, is all. I was curious."

"Oh. Well, thanks." Alicia smiled a bit, "I just love music. I love to sing, I even love to dance. I'm horrible at it though. I also play the violin. I enjoy art too. I can draw, kind of. Still need a lot of practice. I just…love the arts. I'm also a huge theater freak. Musicals are my friend!"

Lee smiled at that, "Well, you're creative. That's cool."

"So, what do you do for fun?"

"For…fun? You mean besides blade?"

"Mmhm!"

"…uhh…I play video games sometimes. I like going to the movies. Mariah sometimes goes with me."

"Wanna go see a movie tonight?"

He blinked, "Are you asking me out on a date?"

Her cheeks turned pink as she quickly looked away, "Of course not! I just figured it'd be nice to go catch a movie, since I don't have any other plans and Sarah's gotta work."

"What do you want to see? I refuse to see anything remotely close to _Twilight_ or anything in the same genre as it either."

"Screw that - I want to see action. Marvel. Seriously."

"You like Marvel?"

"Have you met my Dad? He raised me on Marvel and DC comics."

"Favorite Avenger?"

"Thor."

"Oh gawd, please tell me not because he takes off his shirt."

"We-ll…" Alicia broke into a laugh at the sour look on his face. "I'm joking! Though it was one of the few times seeing a guy shirtless actually made me drool." He face-palmed as she cackled again, only to poke him.

"What?" he demanded, turning to peer through tawny fingers at her.

"You're way hotter,"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You're hotter shirtless. You're muscular, but you're not freakishly buff." the brunette nudged him, "Holy shit, did I break you?"

He shook off his daze, "No, of course not. Just…not used to getting compliments." Clearing his throat, Lee scratched at his cheek. "So why do you like Thor?"

"Because he's badass. Ironman's my second fave, because he's a smart ass, like me!"

"Got that right," Lee snagged her by her waist, assaulting her with tickles. She shrieked yet again, wiggling around in his arms, trying to break free. He had her laughing so hard that her knees buckled. "Whoa there! Are you alright?"

She gasped for air, realizing how close they were as she turned to look at him, nodding. They paused, topaz staring into blue and green, pink flooding her cheeks while his entire face turned red. The sound of a truck going by caused them to break apart.

_Why is my heart racing so fast?_

Alicia clutched her own chest, clearing her throat. "There's the place Sarah wanted me to pick her up some food at. C'mon." She snatched his arm, pulling him behind her as they entered a deli. Alicia ordered and paid for the food, with Lee noticing she was avoiding looking at it all together as they left, heading back out onto the streets.

"Aren't you hungry?"

"No."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Alicia, I saw how you were eyeing the food. Why didn't you get anything for yourself?"

"Because the only cash I had on me is Sarah's to buy her food. I'm broke - hence why I needed a job. I get paid-per-story I do for the BBA. There hasn't been a tournament or anything so…nothing to report on. No money. No extra funds to buy food."

Lee wanted to smack her upside the head, but he didn't. He would never actually hit a woman. He was damn well tempted to though.

"Stay,"

Alicia turned, finding the lion gone. She blinked and looked around, a "WTF?" expression on her face. Lee returned five minutes later, taking the bag from her hands and shoving a sandwich into them.

"Wow. You went and… bought me a sandwich."

"Eat it or I'm going to get mad."

Sighing, she rolled her eyes and did as she was told. Ten minutes later, they were nearing the bookstore/café that the bookworm worked at. Lee narrowed his golden eyes on the tomboy as he realized she had only eaten half.

"Alicia… you need to finish eating."

"I honestly cannot take another bite. I'm not you, goof. My stomach isn't as big as yours." Alicia sounded sincere, "Please just take the rest."

He did, eating it in four bites with her looking at him like he was weird or something before turning to head inside the store. Lee looked around, having never been in this place before. Half of the store was filled with shelves of books, along with computers. It was an internet café as well, it seemed. They served smoothies, teas, and other delicacies.

"Oh thank Jesus!"

Lee turned as he heard the familiar Southern accent. Sarah looked up from reading a manga while at the register, putting her book down as she realized Alicia was there.

"I come baring food!"

"Yay! Thank you!"

Lee nearly sputtered as the bookworm came out from behind the counter. She was wearing an outfit that resembled a maid costume, with a pair of kitty ears. He quickly averted his eyes away from her cleavage and how short her skirt was.

_What kind of place is this?!_

"How's business?" Alicia asked nonchalantly, taking the place as it was.

Lee was a nervous wreck beside her though, feeling very awkward and as if all the morality was being sucked from his soul, his left eye having developed a nervous twitch.

"Meh. It's steady I guess. It's a job. Honestly, I'm bored."

"Well, just be careful. I'll be back at eight to walk home with you. Dad had to go to the next city over for the night for work."

"Gotcha. Oh, hi Lee!"

Lee finally fell backwards, eyes swirling and twitching on the ground. Both brunettes tipped their heads to the side, looking at one another, and then back at Lee. Alicia even went to the means of nudging him with the toe of her shoe. He continued to remain a twitching mess on the floor.

"Was it something I said?" Sarah blinked innocently.

Alicia glanced at the brunette, "Think it might've been the boobs." Sarah blushed a bit, looking down at her cleavage and shifted a bit, making sure there weren't any other customers as Alicia crouched down. "Yo, Lee."

_Poke. Poke._

"Get up already."

_Poke._

"I hope I didn't kill him…"

_Poke. Poke. JAB!_

"No, he's just shell-shocked." Alicia did glance up at her though, "We may need to find a place to hide the body, just in case."

Sarah sweatdropped, "Lee…? Are you okay…?"

Thirty seconds later, Lee finally retrieved his soul and sprung forward, grabbing Sarah while crying hysterically.

"QUIT THIS HORRID PLACE NOW AND COME WORK AT THE RESTAURANT! I'LL PAY YOU TWICE - NO - THREE TIMES AS MUCH AS YOU GET PAID HERE!"

Alicia snorted and started laughing hysterically as the black-haired boy continued to beg and plead, ranting about morals and how unethical that a place like this even existed, and that if he didn't do something that _his_ honor as a man was at stake.

Sarah finally got to answer him, "ALRIGHT! Jus' stop yellin', would ya?"

Lee huggled her, "THANK YOU!"

"Get offa me!"

Lee did the moment realized his face had smooshed against her boobs, once again fainting. Alicia finally stopped laughing, wiping the tear from her eye before she straightened.

"Welp, make sure you resign tonight. I'm going to drag his lion butt to go see a movie."

"Alright, I will." Sarah shook her head, muttering and taking her yummy food with her, going back to work. "Crazy lady bringing her crazy friends to my job…"

* * *

"You really creeped her out back there."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Lee shook his head, trying to get that image of Sarah in that costume out of his head. The movie had ended, with them still having about an hour left until Alicia was to go pick up Sarah from work.

"Hey, let's just chill in the park for a bit, okay?"

Lee allowed the brunette to steer him into the park, rubbing his temple. He looked up, seeing the sky was beginning to fade, streaking in an array of gold, reds, pinks, and violets. Alicia slipped her hand down from his wrist, cupping her much smaller hand around his, dragging him with surprising strength for someone so small.

She released his hand as they reached the fountain, with the brunette girl perching herself on the edge. She watched the water trickling down, leaning to glance at her reflection. Lee felt his face heat up again, finding the serene expression and smile on her face actually very cute. The fact he found any girl cute - in a way that he was actually attracted to it nevertheless - was strange.

Maybe because this had been the only girl he ever had been attracted to, his whole life.

Lee finally sat down beside her, crossing one leg on the stone while he turned his body slightly, glancing down at their reflection. She was smiling, kicking her feet back and forth.

"I'm glad that Dad chose to settle down here, finally."

"I've been meaning to ask… why did Matt stop the expeditions."

Alicia grew quiet and then looked away from the water, staring into her lap as she watched her feet moving. Lee was quiet himself, sensing he had asked a serious question. Alicia had dodged all the other serious questions he had thrown at her before.

"…Dad is very sick, Lee…"

His eyes widened, wanting to reach out somehow. He didn't know how to though. He lifted his hand, as if to brush her hair out of her face, but he found he couldn't. She hastily reached her hand up, as if to tuck her hair behind her ear, but Lee still saw what she had been trying to hide.

The tear drop that had slid down her cheek.

"What's…what's wrong with him?"

"Dunno…the doctors are looking into it. It's been this way for a couple of years now. We settled down back in Connecticut, but Dad was miserable. It was my idea to move here. I got in touch with Mr. Dickenson, explained to him what was going on. At least…this way… just in case…Dad will be remembered. He'll be happy."

"Alicia, don't think like that. You need to focus on the positive. You need to think about what all you guys are going to do when he _beats_ this."

She looked at him, but only briefly before looking the other way. Her fingers were laced, hands slipping between her thighs as she rocked slightly. He was surprised when she opened her mouth to sing softly.

"'Let me apologize to begin with, let me apologize for what I'm about to say, but trying to be genuine is harder than it seemed, and somehow I got caught up in between. Let me apologize to begin with, let me apologize for what I'm about to say, but trying to be someone else was harder than it seemed, and somehow I got caught up in between, between my pride and my promise, between my lies and how the truth gets in the way. The things I want to say to you get lost before they come, the only thing that's worse than one is none…'"

Lee waited a full minute before he spoke, "Ali…"

She turned to look at him.

"It's…okay to cry, you know."

Her head shook, those chocolate strands framing her face like a dark curtain.

"No, Lee. Not anymore."

* * *

_A/N: Lee, oh sweet Lee, you are so oblivious, you big dork XD Alright, I have officially decided who Mariah is paired with. Read to find out, my lovies~! Okay, so who is rooting for Lee x Alicia? :D Lion Boy is so silly. Review my pretties, review!_

_Next Chapter: Wall of Glass_

_~Mistress of the Arts_


	4. Chapter IV: Wall of Glass

_Disclaimer: Beyblade does not belong to me in any way, shape, or form. Takes place in modern day - meaning all characters are over the age of 18. Warning: Contains swearing, suggestive themes, mature themes, and other things that little kiddies should not be exposed to. Read at your own risk._

_A/N: I love writing Lee like this. He's such a goofball but so loveable and still cool in his own way~ especially when he's so damn oblivious to his own feelings, not to mention Alicia's. (IT IS SO OBVIOUS SHE LIKES YOU, DUMMY!) Okay, so much love to my readers~ xoxo Now let us continue on with __**Honorable Devotions**__!_

* * *

_Chapter IV_

_Wall of Glass_

"Gotta hand it to ya, Lee, I'm impressed."

Lee made a face like he had just swallowed glass before slowly turning around to see Mystel. Unfortunately, two weeks ago when Ray had hired on Sarah and Alicia, he also happened to hire on the energetic blond. So, instead of being a once in awhile pain of the neck, Mystel had become a _constant_ one for the lion.

"Oh, hi Mystel. Did not…see you there." Lee muttered, looking about for a distraction.

He then grabbed a magazine from the trash, flipping through it to act like he was busy. Mystel simply peered over the top of it, ignoring the evident annoyance that the lion was displaying. He gave one of his laughs, closing those sky blue eyes that were always so damn happy.

God, what did this kid eat for breakfast?

Trix and Lucky Charms combined? With two cups of sugar and with chocolate milk?

NO ONE IS THAT DAMN PERKY!

"Pretty interesting to see you reading one of Mariah's gossip magazines."

Lee froze, finally actually looking down at the page. He paled at the story of Justin Bieber, quickly dropping the magazine and even going to the means of hopping his stool away from it. Somehow - wait, what was he thinking? It was Mystel! - he had perched himself on the counter top, simply sliding with him.

"Mystel, I'm trying to work."

"No, you're hopping in your stool."

Lee glared at him, leaning back as the blond boy invaded his personal space.

_Okay. It's official. He's a pain in my neck and a creep._

"What do you want?" Lee said through clenched teeth.

"I wanted to tell you I'm impressed. Sarah's one hell of a waitress."

"Ray didn't promote her to Head Waitress just because she's a pretty face. She rules with an iron fist and the girls do their jobs _right_." Lee replied, eyeing his special drawer and wondering if Mystel was planning on stealing his beloved yarn ball.

"Exactly! You're the one who hired her, right?"

"Yeah…"

"And you also hired that Alicia girl too?"

"Look, just stay away from Alicia!"

Mystel blinked, abruptly having his collar fisted by the glaring adolescent. He held up his hands in defense.

"Easy there, buddy… I don't have interest in Alicia."

"Oh really? Why's that? She not good enough for ya, pretty boy?"

Sweatdropping from the confusing remarks, the blond wiggled free, taking off. It scared him knowing that if Lee was going to react over Alicia, one of the dish washers, who knows what he would do if he found out that he was in love with Mariah.

Lee grumbled and went back to just…staring blankly at the wall. Damn, he needed to start picking up crossword puzzles or word searches. Today was Alicia's day off - it was one of those weird weeks where Kevin and her were both scheduled off today, leaving Gary to do the dishes. Sarah would be coming in later, right when he was getting off. Mystel had been poking around, pissing the lion off. He _really_ could not stand that guy.

"ZHEN!"

She jumped, startled by Lee suddenly exclaiming her name. She had just come inside, her shift beginning in just a few minutes. Lee was restless and about to go out of his mind. The blunette slowly approached the counter.

"Yes, Lee?"

"I need you to do me a favor!"

"What is it?"

"Kill me."

Zhen jumped and shook her head, "N-No…I won't do something like that! Why would you ask that of me?"

His forehead hit the counter, "I'm so boooored!"

"Oi! Stop scaring the cute one!"

Lee gasped in pain, looking up to see that Sarah had arrived early. She was wearing a white Oriental dress that had a heart cut out over the cleavage, it going to her ankles but slit up to mid-thigh, with a pair of black flats. She had baggy white sleeves tied around her upper-arms with black ribbons, the hem of the dress and sleeves holding an interesting lilac splash design. Her locks had been pulled up into little buns on the side of her head, chopsticks with amethyst and onyx crystals dangling from them on both sides.

"You look pretty today, Sarah." Zhen complimented.

"Thank you," Sarah patted the much smaller girl on the head. "Go ahead and clock in. I'll deal with Lee."

Zhen fled toward the kitchens, running to Mystel of all people. That irked the lion even more, him growling.

At least until he felt a sharp pain in his nose.

"No! Bad Lee!" Sarah smacked her fan against her palm as a warning. "Mystel is _good_. Stop hating on him just because he likes your sister and is trying to be your friend."

"But…but…" Lee gave a whine, "He's too perky!"

"No!" _Smack! _"Bad!"

He rubbed his nose, tears prickling the corners of his eyes.

"Damn, Ali's right! You are evil!"

"EXCUSE ME?! I AM VERY NICE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"

This time, she smacked him with her purse. Lee gasped, clutching his throbbing cheek as the brunette stormed off. He trembled in mild fear before he pulled out his phone, sending a text to Alicia about Sarah.

_-She's violent and scares the shit out of me!-_

_-Welcome to my world. -w-' -_

_-Please come save me.-_

_-And risk dying myself? You're on your own, Lion King-_

_-grrrr…remind me to kill Kev later…-_

_-Haha. No. Don't touch him.-_

_-Why so suddenly protective of Monkey Boy?-_

_-Monkey Boy happens to be Zhen's love interest and I want my little sis to be happy, damn you!-_

_-…wut…OwO-_

_-Yes, Lee. Zhen does like a boy. Who is Kevin. Deal. Go back to work!-_

_-Fine then…meanie.-_

She didn't reply after that, leaving Lee to pout a bit.

This wasn't fair. At least when she was working and he _knew_ she was there, time went by faster so they could hang out. But no - she was most likely hanging out with Kevin at her house.

Alone…

No adult supervision because Matt was out-of-town.

Lee ducked down below the counter, peering around before dialing Ray's number and pressing his phone to his ear. He heard Ray answer with a tone that indicated he found the phone call rather absurd, considering he _was_ in the building.

"Lee, why don't you just come to the back and talk to me?"

"I need to go home!"

"…why?"

"Please! It's an emergency!"

"Did you leave your toaster oven on?"

"What? No!"

"Then why do you need to leave?"

"…my pride hurts."

He heard the sound of flesh connecting.

"Lee…just…just…fine. I'll send Mystel up front to cover you."

Lee paused - that would mean Mystel would be in _his_ domain.

Possibly after his beloved yarn!

…Shit…

_Ray, you can be such a bastard! We're supposed to be brothers, dammit! BROTHERS!_

"Fine! Fine!"

"Alright. Go."

Lee hung up and then rushed to clock-out. Why he was running out like a madman to Alicia's house, not even he knew. All he knew was that he had to make sure Monkey Boy stuck to Zhen!

Lee managed to change into a pair of jeans with a brown v-neck shirt, yanking on his skate shoes before stuffing his other clothes into his backpack. He took off the moment he could, running the two blocks to his apartment. He dropped the keys two or three times (why the hell would he be counting?) before managing to unlock his car and then get them into the ignition.

He drove to her house as quickly as the law allowed him to. He saw that their black '86 Sierra truck was gone from the driveway, but the garage door was closed so he couldn't tell if Alicia's motorcycle was there or not. He parked, scrambling out of the car before hurrying up the steps to the front door. He knocked, his fist shaking as he did.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the door opened.

Lee froze.

Her hair was a messy, she was wearing a tank top with the strap hanging off her shoulder and a pair of gym shorts yawning loudly with one hand covering her mouth. She then rubbed her eye, looking at him with her green one.

"Lee…? Wuzz the matter?"

"Where's Kevin?"

"Iono…"He blinked, "You were asleep?"

"Partially… I was half-asleep when you texted me…"

"I am so sorry!"

She shrugged it off, "Go ahead and come on in…" He watched as she skipped toward the kitchen, "Okay…jus' gotta… feed Sir Hiss and… then feed demon dog…"

Lee heard some bangs from the kitchen, hastily shutting the door and then hurrying to the doorway. He had no idea why he was so frantic - and slightly relieved. He saw Alicia picking up some bowls that had fallen out of the cabinet as she attempted to reach the Matt's pet cornsnake's food.

"Sarah must've put it up there." Alicia eyed the counter, moving to climb on it. "Damn my height!"

Lee gave her a look, _Why must she do everything herself?_

She slipped and nearly fell, Lee crossing the room in three long strides, arms wrapping around her waist. She gave a small cry of alarm as he lifted her up, allowing her to grab the box with ease. Alicia blinked, blushing somewhat as the lion then shifted her into his arms, holding her against his chest. He gave her another look.

"Stop trying to do everything on your own. You are a _hobbit_, I am _tall_."

"…Giganto…"

He made a face at that, "Just…go feed the snake. I got Hikaru."

Once her tiny feet were on the floor, Alicia wiggled free and took off to go feed Sir Hiss in her Dad's room. Lee took the dog's food dish, filled it with a cup of kibble, and then went out the back door. The backyard was fenced in, with a small shed, a picnic table, a dog house, and a gazebo with a porch swing inside it, covered in ivy. Lee knelt down to pet the Chihuahua on the head, him parking excitedly as he was fed.

Alicia and Hikaru did _not_ get along. He seemed like a nice enough dog. He just had a serious dislike of human noses in his personal space was all.

Once Hikaru was taken care of, Lee went back inside. He had expected Alicia to reappear in the living room, but she hadn't. Knowing her, she most likely hadn't bothered to feed herself. Sighing at the thought, Lee opened the fridge and began pulling out mayo, ham, swiss cheese, tomato, pickle, and then hunted down the bread. Five minutes later, he was carrying the sandwich and a can of ginger ale down the hall.

The first door was the bathroom, which had clearly been dominated by the females. Unless Matt had his own private washroom - Lee poked his head into the next room. It was obviously Matt's, because there was a _Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon_ banner hanging on the wall, along with a couple of _Iron Maiden_, _Rush, _and _Blue Öyster Cult_ posters. He had been right about the private washroom.

The next door down was obviously Sarah's room, Lee assumed due to the _Assassin's Creed_ door poster on it. That meant that the last door was Alicia's room.

Sure enough, he was right. Her room had blue walls, with posters of _Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, _and _Fullmetal Alchemist_. She had black curtains blocking out the sunlight, and she had a large futon bed that she was sprawled out on, about ready to crash again. Lee glanced and saw a lot of boxes were piled in her partially opened closet, and she also had many relics of Matt's digs around her room. There was a flat screen television hooked up to a Playstation 2, with cases of her games stacked on the dresser. Her room wasn't messy, but it wasn't neat either.

"Ali, c'mon." Lee nudged her gently with his shoe. "You need to eat."

"Too sleepy…"

He rolled his eyes, grabbing a box and placing the plate and can of soda on it. He then flopped onto the bed, bouncing on it a bit. She moaned and shoved at him, but he didn't even move an inch. She sat up, hair wild and falling into her eyes as she sat up, trying to shove him off the bed.

Damn, it was so hard not to laugh right now.

"What are you? Stone?"

"Force of will, my dear. Now _eat_."

"Dun wanna…"

Lee groaned, "Why? Why won't you eat, woman?"

Alicia was quiet now, "I…I can't…"

"Alicia, _why_?"

"I just don't want to!"

She burrowed under the covers, leaving him to glare at her. She dared to peek only to squeak, hiding once more. Lee took out his phone and sent a text to Sarah.

_-Alicia won't eat. What do I do?-_

_-Threaten her with me. If that doesn't work make her submit to you.-_

_-…wut…OwO-_

_-DO IT.-_

He dropped his phone in mild fear.

"Alicia, if you don't eat then Sarah's going to beat the crap out of you with her _Latin Dictionary_."

He heard a meep of fright, but she still did not emerge.

_Kay…time for Plan B._

He paused.

_How the hell do I commence Plan B?!_

Lee sighed, before taking a deep breath. He then grabbed a fistful of the blankets, jerking them off. Alicia gave a cry of alarm, before she tried to scramble off the bed. He was quicker.

Much quicker.

The world shifted and she found herself pinned beneath him, arms holding down her shoulders, his knees locked on either side of her hips, his eyes narrowed and animalistic, as feral as a real lion's and his fangs bared, deep growls emitting from his throat.

Oddly enough…

She wasn't scared.

She blinked, actually blushing a little and wiggling, feeling turned on by this. After a couple of seconds, Lee blinked and his pupils expanded, realizing that she wasn't going to submit.

_So much for plan B._

"I'll eat…but you have to give me something.

""Why should I give you anything just so you'll eat?"

"Hmmm…cause I said so!"

He rolled his eyes, giving a small gasp as her arms pulled him down. Lee suddenly felt overwhelmed, eyes wide at the closeness between them. She had a playful smile on her face, one that actually alarmed him to some degree. He wasn't sure what was going on.

"I want…"

He leaned in a little more.

"…a beybattle!"

Lee rolled off the bed at that. He grumbled, rubbing his forehead from where he accidentally whacked it on her controller. Groaning, he sat up.

"Please! I want to show you my Bit-Beast!"

"We can't,"

"But…but why not?"

"Because Galeon's at home. I came straight here from work."

"You came straight here just to see me?"

"No, to kick Kevin's ass." He hissed as he was smacked upside the head, "What the frick?! Why is everyone hitting me today?!"

Alicia was glaring at him, "I told you to leave Kev alone. He likes _Zhen_. He told me this just two nights ago when I stayed the night with him and - LEE! Don't you freakin' walk out when I'm talking to you! LEE! GET BACK HERE!"

Lee had just scrambled for the bedroom door.

He was going to find that little twerp and rip him to shreds.

He was going to -

_WHAM!_

His back hit the wall, once again taken aback by the amount of strength the girl had. She was quick, having yanked him by the back of his shirt and whirled him. Lee had maybe four seconds to realize what had happened before he felt her fisting the collar his shirt. All he could see were blue and green irises, swirling with emotion he had never really seen before.

The anger left.

He was powerless.

Alicia stood on tiptoe, pressing her lips to his quickly, only for a few seconds. It was enough for the veil of rage to be lifted, his pupils expanding and leaving him confused.

_She just… gave me my first kiss…_

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. Alicia had buried her face into his chest, now just gripping his shirt wordlessly.

"Don't…get any weird ideas….I jus' did that so you would calm down…you get so hardheaded and you block out…any logical reasoning when you get territorial…especially over us girls. I've seen you do it over Mariah so much…especially whenever Mystel's involved… I've even seen it over Zhen and Sare too… you are so caring… you have such a big heart but your anger… you need to control it, Lee. Before you break again. I don't…I can't…_see_ you like that. I look at you…and I see who I used to be. Letting the anger just…take over. Letting the darkness bind and manipulate our hearts. Yet…you have to not…_become_ like me either… don't fake a smile while everyone stabs, beats, and breaks you… don't let everyone take you for granted. This is _your_ life, Lee. You need to live it and find what makes you _happy_. You can't…keep just being content with how things are. Sometimes…fighting for your honor or pride… it pushes away the ones you're trying to protect. Sometimes, it's okay to give in and feel a little powerless. Sometimes, it's okay to cry… like you told me. I don't cry though… not really… because when I was crying it was easier for people to manipulate me and use me… so when I came here… to get a new start… I promised not to cry, no matter how rough things got. It's not pride. It's for my loved one's sake. It's for my Daddy and for Sarah… it's for you too. I'd rather be silly and misunderstood than… for people to get hurt because I'm hurting. I'd rather just shake off the pain." She finally looked up at him, eyes wide as tears burned the corners of them. Her voice was thick with emotion and he could tell she was fighting back that very same pain she had been speaking of. "It always seems to bring the worst in you out, your pride… Of all the colors that you've shined, this is surely not your best. I like it better…when you're laughing and being goofy with me. I like it better when you're teasing me, but you make sure to do it in a way that doesn't hurt my feelings. I know you feel alone and that no one else can figure you out… but don't turn away from us. Don't you know we love to see you smile? Don't you know that we want you to join us? Change is hard… and so is this world… sometimes, we may not feel like we belong and we feel like we're lost… but Lee… you're not alone! Dammit, you're not alone! You have your best friends! You have Sarah, you have even my dad! He loves you too, you know? He wants you to come talk to him if you have a problem and you need a _parent_. I know it's been hard… I know that you feel like you've drifted to far from everyone… I know you feel like there's a wall of glass between you and them…"

"How do you…know all that?"

"Because I'm behind that wall of glass, right beside you."

Lee swallowed hard, "Alicia… I'm so sorry…I've been worrying everybody again… because I'm so scared."

He had shoved his pride to the side for now.

He had to admit this - to someone besides his insecurities.

"This world…terrifies me. When I blade… I feel at least like I belong. Until I lose and then…I feel like I let _everyone_ down."

"You don't! You keep coming back! You may get down but you always rebound right back! That's what I admire about you, Lee! You're the sole reason I started blading myself! You're the reason I want to compete next year! You're the reason I want to see what life is going to have in store for me… especially if life decides I have to do it on my own! I don't want to live in a world without my Dad but I will if I have to! I'm not going to let it hold me back from my dreams and my desires! So how about you take a page out of _my_ book and do the same! I… I care about you…"

"I care about you too." Lee whispered, before suddenly enveloping her in his arms. Her small arms locked around his waist as she hid her face. He rested his cheek against the crown of her head. He felt calm now, as if he could see clearly. "So… how do we go from here…?"

"…we have to shatter that wall of glass, Lee…"

He nodded, "Together, I hope."

She laughed a bit, "I never plan on leaving you behind ever again, Lion Boy." Lee snorted at the nickname as she pulled back, smiling that sweet smile he liked to see before he smoothed down her messy hair. "I know, I look like hell."

"Most people do when they first get up, goof." He ruffled her hair, messing it up again as she let out a whine. "So, I have an idea."

She squirmed free, finally picking up the sandwich and eating.

"What is it?" the brunette asked, after chewing and swallowing.

He watched her eat, relieved to see she was. Her eating habits were strange. It was like she refused to eat until she absolutely had to. She had a low blood sugar at work just last week, nearly giving Kevin a heart attack. Whatever the reasons were, Alicia was being tight-lipped about it, even when it came to Sarah.

Right now, he hoped that she would just take better care of herself.

"How…er…what I'm tryna say is…" Lee shifted, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly and finding his skate shoes much more interesting at the moment. "Do you maybe want to…stay with me?"

"Stay with you?" Alicia had finished half the sandwich now.

"I mean…I know you're off the next two days. I am too."

"You want to hang out with me?" She seemed to perk right back up.

Lee gave her a look, "Of course I do! I don't do much else… Mariah's busy a lot, y'know, with Zhen and Kevin. Sometimes Hilary and Salima. I know that Ray and Sarah are going out-of-town to some chef conference for the _Tiger Lily_. Honestly wouldn't want you staying here alone since Matt's out-of-town still…"

Alicia simply cut him off by hugging him, "I'll stay with you."

He blinked, feeling that annoying heat flooding his face at the closeness. Her abrupt hugs always sent his heart going crazy. He honestly didn't understand why that didn't happen with anyone else.

Well, the only other people that had ever been affectionate toward him had been his sister, Zhen, and even Sarah in her odd little way.

"So it's for tonight and two more days, right?"

Lee nodded, watching as she dug under her bed and withdrew her backpack. She made a face as she opened it, withdrawing the dress that Ray had told her to keep.

"You throw that out and I will maim you."

He wasn't sure why that blurted out.

"I wasn't!" Alicia defended herself, "I just forgot to take it out. I know that Mariah made it for me and it's pretty. I just…didn't feel comfortable working in it."

"How come?"

"I don't dress remotely girly unless it's a special occasion. Comfort more than anything, plus I'm a little clumsy when I'm nervous so… I was afraid I would ruin the dress." Alicia had gotten up and was hanging the dress up in her cluttered closet, before pulling out three shirts - a white and blue striped baggy t-shirt, a black hooded vest with blue star design, and black v-neck - and then folded them, putting them in her bag. "I mean, I do wear skirts sometimes," She pulled out a pleated black and blue plaid skirt as she said that, one that Lee bit his lip at, squirming a bit as she tossed it on her bed. She closed the drawer she had out and then opened the one above it, withdrawing a pair of tattered white skinny jeans and her dark blue ones, folding them as well. "I also don't always wear my converse. Believe it or not, I've worn heels before."

"You need 'em, hobbit."

"Yes, I am vertically challenged! I am a girl! Deal!"

He chuckled as she sent him a glare, before opening the top drawer. Lee felt suddenly a little awkward as he realized it was her pantie drawer. She didn't seem to care as she riffled through it, pulling out two pairs of ankle socks, three pairs of really cute black panties, and a couple of bras. She packed them as well, before opening the drawer beneath it and pulling out a pair of pajama bottoms and her spaghetti-strap top that showed her midriff before she packed them, closing the backpack.

"Alright, I just need to go shower and get ready, then we can leave. Make yourself at home."

Alicia did have the modesty to grab the skirt and a another shirt from her closet before leaving Lee awkwardly standing in her bedroom.

His mouth was dry and his heart was thumping. Now that he was thinking about it, was inviting Alicia to stay with him such a good idea?

They were friends. It wasn't such a big deal. Hell, she had spent the night with Kevin and Gary just recently (that stupid twinge was back. WTF?) and her father was comfortable with her spending the night with her guy friends (now the honor twinge was acting up… dear gods) since he knew that Alicia wasn't one to have friends with benefits (like hell he'd let that happen! HAH!).

It was just… one of those things.

It didn't mean anything.

Besides, he would just give up his bed for the couch. Well, knowing her, she'd most likely claim the couch due to her personality. She wasn't one who tolerated self-sacrifice for her benefit. She was the selfless one and claimed that role possessively.

It was just two nights of spending time together, one-on-one. Nothing was going to happen that shouldn't. It wasn't like Lee had a crush on her or anything.

…Right?

There was a slight panic as gold eyes frantically searched for his black phone on the floor, from where he had dropped it after texting Sarah. He found it underneath the blankets, grabbing it and scrolling through his short list of contacts, pausing on the one that said _Mar__iah_.

Finely tuned ears heard the sound of the shower running in the bathroom, hearing the distant sound of Alicia singing as she got ready. He was trying really hard not to think of the brunette. His bodily reactions were even more confusing, feeling warmth pooling in his stomach again. He ignored it as he hastily pressed the call button.

"Hey, Lee! I just got off with Mystel! What's up?"

He ignored the twitch of his eye as he realized the perky devil was with his beloved sister, "Riah, I think…I think something's wrong with me."

"Oh no! What's wrong? Are you sick? Do you need me to come over tonight?"

"No…no…not sick… though my stomach feels weird… and my palms are all sweaty. I'm a nervous wreck, like I was before my match with Tyson a few years ago… damn, Mariah, my mind's racing and I'm really confused! My face is really hot too!"

There was a sound of hushed tones, the pinkette and blond conversing for a second before he heard Mariah's sweet voice, loud and clear. "…Lee, where are you right now?"

"I'm at Alicia's house and - Riah? Mariah? Are you there?"

"OHMIGODS!"

He winced, holding the phone away as Mariah gave the girliest - not to mention shrillest - shriek she had ever given. Warily did the lion place the phone back to his ear.

"…ow…"

"Sorry! Lee, don't you get it? You totally like Alicia!"

"Of course I like her," he gave an eye roll, "You kind of have to like somebody to be friends with them!"

"Stupid," Lee felt a wince at that, "You _like like_ her. You know, like as in… you have a crush on her? You're interested in being more than friends? Like how Kev likes Zhen and vice versa? Wow, you're a total ditz when it comes to girls, aren't you?"

"Stop picking on me!" Lee whined, pouting a bit before he lowered his tone. "You…really think that's what it is?"

"Let me ask you this - do you feel silly and try really hard to make her laugh and smile?"

"Of course I do."

"Do you blush a lot and sometimes feel like you want to kiss her?"

"N - …actually. Yeah. I did a few times. Just…didn't realize it was that. Huh."

"Lee, I say go for it! But take it slow, okay?"

"Slow?"

"Don't just blurt out you like her! I know, we should go on a double-date!"

"Like…Ray, you, me and Ali?"

"No. Mystel, me, you and Alicia."

Lee growled a bit, "Riah, I don't think…"

"Alicia will just clam up if Ray's around. I have enough issues fending off that Head Waitress as it is. Look, please?"

"…okay, but you gotta ask Alicia for me."

"Fine, but you owe me~ Love you, Lee! Bye!"

"Bye."

He wasn't sure how his heart could sink and be fluttering rapidly in his chest at the same time. The news of having to go on a double date with his sister and Mystel - cue twitch - made him feel a little sick. Yet the thought of being on a date with Alicia…

That somehow made him feel like grinning like an idiot.

Which he was.

The shower had been turned off, with Lee hearing the blow-dryer. Alicia was singing along to whatever she was listening to as she finished getting ready. His sister usually didn't take this long getting ready - and Alicia was the tomboy out of the two. He felt his lips twitch into a small smile, realizing that Alicia was a combination of girly and tomboy. She knew when to act like one of the guys and to go with the flow. She also knew how to make heads turn.

Especially his.

She didn't know she was beautiful.

Maybe that's what made her so… amazing.

"I can't believe I didn't realize it before."

Hell, they had been hanging out constantly, at and outside of work. Alicia occasionally snuck out of Kevin's domain to 'clean' up front and keep him company. It was always a little sad to see her go.

Especially back to Monkey Boy of all people.

He was an idiot to think that Kevin and Alicia would have something going on. She was two years (and two inches) taller than the greenette. They acted like brother and sister, actually. Shy girls had always been Kevin's type - excluding his minor crush on Mariah.

It was obvious as day that Kevin was smitten with Zhen.

Who was completely oblivious.

"Whoa, Lee. Come back to earth."

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Lee blinked once and turned to the doorway, only to feel that heat assault him once again. Alicia's hair was dry, shining since she had just washed it, and fell to her shoulders-blades in a layered wave. Her bangs completely covered her forehead, looking messy on purpose as they were side swept. She had put in a few neon blue faux hair extensions, which brought out her eyes, and even a black skull bow clipped over her right ear. She wore her basic eye make-up, with a light pink lip gloss. Her black top clung to her frame, it falling off one shoulder and revealing her bra strap. Around her neck was her choker necklace, with her wearing her hoop cartilage earring and silver stud in her right ear, with her silver cross dangling from the left. Her pleated, plaid skirt fell just to mid-thigh.

_She looks…so cute…_

"How do I look?"

Of course, all English had fled from his tongue.

"_Ni hen piào liang."_

Alicia blushed and giggled, "You really like to tell me that, don't you?"

He stammered and coughed a bit, trying to remember how to speak English again. After a few seconds, the Chinese boy managed to speak.

"You are…I mean… is it weird?"

"Is what weird?" Alicia was going through her shoes now, pulling on a pair of her ankle socks before settling on her converse, taking the time to redo her laces.

"That I think…you're beautiful."

The brunette leaned her head back, heterochromatic orbs locking on him. She suddenly stood up and then hugged him tight.

"It's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me. It makes me feel good about myself. Besides," she gave one of her wild grins as she tapped his nose, "You're one of the sexiest, hottest guys I know. To be called beautiful by you makes my ego inflate."

"Oh dear gods," he sweatdropped at the last bit. "You need to accept reality, Shireling. You are a shorty and are deranged beyond belief."

"And now I'm back to feeling like crap," she muttered, before grinning. "Joking. I like scaring people!"

He rubbed his temple, "You need therapy."

Rolling her eyes, Alicia then grabbed her phone, charger, laptop, and a couple of DVDs before shoving them into her laptop bag. Once she had her backpack on and the laptop case in hand, she turned to him.

"I'm ready,"

"Get your keys, woman."

She grabbed them.

"Okay, _now_ I'm ready."

Lee nodded before they left, with Alicia huggling a poor and very disgruntled cat that happened to be named Black Magic for a full five minutes before they set off.

_Just take a chill pill, Lee. It's just Alicia Godric. Just the girl you met when you were just a kid and… and actually caused a lot of your issues._

Why did he like her again?

Oh yeah.

She was funny, and sweet, and they got along. Because he trusted her with his thoughts and was able to swallow his pride for her. Because they balanced each other out.

Lee chewed his cheek, suddenly recalling her words.

There was a crack.

Only Alicia had been wrong and right about the wall of glass.

Because whether she was right beside him or not, there had been a wall separating them. A wall that had just now shattered upon realizing just what the girl beside him actually meant to him.

Exposed and scared, Lee Wong didn't know how to handle these emotions.

_What if…I get hurt?_

There was only one thing he could do.

Pretend his feelings didn't exist.

* * *

_A/N: Lee finally comes to reality! Huzzah! Review please~!_

_Next Chapter: Little Talks_

_~Mistress of the Arts_


	5. Chapter V: Little Talks

_Disclaimer: Beyblade does not belong to me in any way, shape, or form. Takes place in modern day - meaning all characters are over the age of 18. Warning: Contains swearing, suggestive themes, mature themes, and other things that little kiddies should not be exposed to. Read at your own risk._

_A/N: Ooooh, Alicia's spending the night with Lee~ Let's see how things turn out for our soon-to-be-possibly-couple, shall we?_

* * *

_Chapter V_

_Little Talks_

After going to see a movie and out for pizza - Alicia's suggestions of course - the two arrived back at Lee's apartment a little after nine. At first, they had awkwardly stood in the doorway, shifting eyes and glancing at once another as Lee rubbed the back of his head and the American tucked her hair behind her ear. Finally, he had stepped inside, slipping off his shoes before bending down to pick them up. Alicia followed suit, leaving hers on the mat however, before shutting and locking the door for him.

"I need to go shower, so… make yourself at home."

"Kay," Alicia said, nervously chewing on a section of her hair again. "Where should I put my bag…?"

"You can put it in my room, if you want."

"Sounds good."

He shifted a bit before going to his room. Normally he just slept in his boxers, but he knew he couldn't really do that with Alicia over. So he grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top, before going into the bathroom to shower. It was hard not to think about the pretty girl in the living room, even harder to not think about the fact she had kissed him.

The fact that he actually liked her in a way he had never liked anyone else before.

Quickly shaking those thoughts out of his head, Lee finished washing up. He got dressed and left his hair unbound, towel drying it after he pulled on the shorts and the tank. He felt better now that the day's sweat and grime had been washed away, giving a slight yawn as he took the medical scissors from the medicine cabinet to cut off the bandages. He eyed the scars and the cuts, making a face at some of the deeper ones looking rather gross. He had to let them breathe, though, so he simply applied some ointment to them. After brushing his teeth, Lee then stepped out of the bathroom, clicking off the light.

He glanced into his room, towel around his shoulders and he saw that Alicia's backpack was beside his desk. It looked as if it had been opened. Turning, Lee then poked his head into the living room. Alicia was sitting on the couch, her knees drawn close as she leaned against the arm of it, with her elbow propped and her fingers playing with the back of her hair as she watched the KNN sports channel. She had changed into her plaid pajama bottoms, wearing that spaghetti-strap top that left her stomach bare.

"Anything interesting?"

Dual orbs locked on him, with her apricot cheeks tinting pink as she noticed him. Alicia quickly looked back at the television.

"Not really. I noticed you put up the posters I gave you."

"Yeah. You were right about my room needing more decoration."

Lee hesitated before he turned to head into the kitchenette, opening the fridge. He grabbed the pitcher of mandarin orange tea, pouring them each a glass. He then put the pitcher back, shutting the fridge with his foot before headed back into the living room. He held out the glass to her, which she took with a small "thanks" before sipping it quietly.

_Well…this is awkward._

"I don't think you're in the mood to watch a movie, since we just saw one."

"Not really. Maybe tomorrow."

"Want to play some games then?"

Alicia grinned, "You playing video games… yeah, I definitely want to see this."

Lee smiled a bit before he sprung off the couch, moving to turn on the Xbox 360. He glanced through his games, realizing he didn't have many two-player games. He turned to see Alicia hadn't moved from her spot.

"You playin'?"

"I'd rather watch."

"Seriously?"

"Playstation girl, remember? Sare's the one who dominates the Xbox."

"Right…"

"It's okay, Lee. I promise, I'd rather watch. Do you have _Assassin's Creed_?"

Nodding, Lee found the game and put it in before grabbing the wireless controller. He moved back to the couch, starting the game. Honestly, he felt a little bad for playing while she just sat there and watched. Like he was ignoring her or something.

Yet every time he looked over at her, she would give him that happy-go-lucky grin, looking very happy. She finally stopped texting - he assumed she was talking to Sarah, since Ray and she had a long drive for the conference - after about an hour of him playing. By then, he felt like he was being rude. So he saved his progress and then shut off the game. Alicia blinked as the lion then turned and sat back down on the couch.

No television, no video games.

Just silence.

"Everything okay…?"

Her voice was quiet, as if speaking any louder would cause an upset. Lee gave a nod, awkwardly shifting a little closer. She had turned herself, socked feet brushing the carpet as she leaned in a little.

"Just wanted to talk."

"Okay, what about?"

"Anything, really. Like…how do you like working at the _Tiger Lily_?"

"I love it. Honestly, it's the best job I've ever had. Ray is a great boss, plus everyone's so nice. I've never made so many friends before in my life…" Alicia twirled some hair around her finger, "I love working with Kev. We're a good team - we always tackle the work and get it done in ways that…makes me feel good about myself. I like the recognition. Kevin's still my supervisor and he gives me good feedback on my work ethic. It makes me happy knowing that someone appreciates all of my hard work. The pay's great, I get to work with my best friend, and I'm able to bring in some extra money into the house." She pulled her knees close to her chest, "I even got Dad a really nice chess set. He told me it was one of the nicest gifts he had ever gotten before in his life. We've spent so much time playing chess whenever he's been home. It's nice to have that time together." Alicia paused, "Sorry…didn't mean to talk your ear off."

"No, no! I like hearing you talk about your feelings and how things are. How is Matt, anyway? Any news…?"

"He's stable - he's had to go have tests done in the hospital about two hours away. He has a buddy he's been staying with, so he doesn't have to drive back and forth. I'm just hoping that he's… gonna be okay."

"I do too, Ali…"

She cleared her throat, but it was obvious she was struggling. He watched as she quickly grabbed her tea from the coffee table, taking a drink, most likely to try and get rid of the lump in her throat. Small and nimble fingers began to pull her brown hair over her shoulder, braiding it.

"What about you? Do you like living here?"

"It's…different. I don't hate it. Taking my time adjusting, you know. My own pace and all. Mariah says I'm doing pretty well."

"I agree - you've opened up a lot more since we started hanging out. I've noticed the changes. They're good."

He felt like he was being praised.

He liked the feeling.

Lee shifted, sitting cross-legged as he turned his body, his arm draped across the back of the couch as he turned to face her. The room was dark, since they hadn't bothered to turn any of the lights on. The only light came from the stove light in the kitchen.

"What about outside of work though? I know that Mariah's invited you to go clubbing and stuff with her. Why don't you? You never know…you could have fun, Lee."

"Baby steps," he quipped. "Besides, can you honestly see _me_ going to a club?"

She tipped her head to the side, "Not really, but at least you'd be getting out more."

"You drag me everywhere, hobbit."

The American gave an annoyed glare, "Well sorry. My bad for trying to help you adjust to modern society."

"Modern society is fine - terrorizing it is not."

"Now you're just picking on me."

"Only because it's too easy."

Rolling her eyes, Alicia leaned against the couch, pressing her cheek to it as her arm draped across the back of the couch as well. Lee felt his cheeks burning as her fingers brushed his, before suddenly taking his hand and wiggling her fingers through his. He tried to find his voice, but it was gone.

"Your hand…it's so much bigger than mine… maybe I am just small…"

He looked at her, seeing the look on her face.

"I like that you're small… you're cute."

"You're just saying that…"

"No, honestly, you're cute. I mean it, Ali. You're cuter than my sister."

"…I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not."

"You do realize how devious Riah can be, right? She knows all the right ways to tug on my heart strings and give her things." Lee made a face as he recalled how devious his sister really was. "I mean, honestly, as much as I… cannot stand Mystel… if that's who she wanted to marry I couldn't stop her."

"I thought you were harassing Ray?"

"It is not harassment!" Lee jerked her hand away from hers, crossing his arms stubbornly. "Just…thought that's how things would turn out."

Alicia gave a sigh, feeling a little rejected as she lowered her eyes to her lap. "Lee, people change. Feelings change. Not everyone marries their childhood or high school sweetheart, you know. You meet new people; you get your heart broken…" It sounded as if she was speaking from experience, "You find out what kind of person clicks with you best. Yeah, no one is going to be your perfect match, but finding that one person who makes you feel happy and overcomes the obstacles with you… that's the person you should be with."

Lee shifted, feeling very protective of her suddenly. "Who hurt you?"

She blinked and looked away, "Do you know… who Johnny McGregor is?"

"Of course I do. He's that blockhead from the Majestics."

"Johnny and I dated while I was in Scotland last year."

"…things were really bad… we fought all the time. He was the jealous type, but he took it so far that he would…be violent about it. He didn't even trust me with Oliver, who was like my kid brother. It was…hard being with someone who couldn't trust me with his own friends. He got drunk one night…he grabbed me. I was scared he was gonna hit me or something…so I panicked and punched him in the face. He wasn't…he wouldn't but…he was so pissed I was scared."

Lee could only listen.

"We broke up that night. It caused a lot of issues, especially between Johnny and the rest of the Majestics. I'm still close friends with Enrique and Oliver too. Enri and I play online games together and Oliver's trying to get my writings published so I can be an author. They're like family to me."

Alicia fell quiet.

"I'm sorry; I know this is a little awkward for you."

"No…I just can't believe he treated you like crap."

"It was his pride and jealousy that made him do it. He could be…sweet. He was trouble, but he was sweet. I just realized I needed someone who… would fight for me but wouldn't hurt me by doing it. I haven't dated anyone since. I did like a boy in Ontario, but he had a girlfriend so…I backed off the moment I found out."

"Was…Johnny…?"

"My first boyfriend? Yeah. I didn't exactly…appeal to anyone until a couple of years ago. I went through a really bad depression during my early teens. I used to be overweight, but after I got my Bit-Beast… I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself. I realized that all I was doing was hurting myself and was playing a victim. It was pathetic. So…I got on a good training regimen that Hiro gave me. I started training to become a Beyblader. It was a hobby, really, but it helped keep me focused. Soon I was able to get back into shape. I was laughing and smiling again. I stopped wearing baggy clothes and found self-confidence. I let one of my friends take me shopping one day - we finally managed to unearth my girly side that I had locked away because I was…scared. I was really scared to just be myself. I was afraid that no one would like me. Turns out they didn't like the fake me."

There was a pause.

"I like being myself. I know that not everyone is going to like you, but at least my friends like me. Though I know I can be a bit abrasive and annoying. I don't care in the end. I'm happy with who I am - I want to keep being happy. I just get… lonely."

"Everyone gets lonely." Lee rubbed his upper arm, "I know I do…"

He felt her arms wrap around his neck, his breath hitching at the closeness. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close to him.

He liked the warmth - he liked the gentle fire she had with him.

A fire that normally burned anyone else who dare tried to get close to her heart.

"I know I'm a little screwed up… I know that sometimes I'm not the best person to be around… but I do care about you. I want to always be your best friend. I want to help you find your place in this world."

"Alicia, my place is with you… and my clan…"

She smiled at those words, before turning to lightly kiss his cheek. His eyes opened as she withdrew a bit, gold staring into blue and green. Her lips barely parted, looking up at him from underneath her bangs. Her scent that reminded him of lotus blossoms was making him very aware of her closeness, for he had pulled her into his lap without realizing it.

"Is it crazy that I… missed our little talks like this…?"

"No…it's not crazy at all…"

His fingers brushed across the skin of her lower back, feeling her frame tremble a bit. He felt his mouth go dry, swallowing a bit before speaking again, once again his voice barely above a whisper as his eyes continued to stare into hers.

"Is it crazy that I… really want to kiss you…?"

"If it is, then I guess I'm going out of my mind too."

Lee felt his heart skip a beat, before he slowly brushed his fingertips across her cheek, brushing some stray strands behind her ear. Her eyes started to close as the distance between them was eliminated. Their lips brushed, the kiss soft and tender, chaste and yet leaving his lips tingling in warmth he never experienced before. It was all he could do not to draw her tighter to him.

Alicia drew back slowly, opening her eyes before he did. Her hands brushed down his arms, causing him to open his eyes. Lee didn't dare say a word, a twinge of fear striking him that if he did then this moment would disappear.

"Was it…weird?"

He shook his head, "Just…different."

She broke into a smile, "We should get some sleep."

"Y…yeah. Sleep."

Lee felt her shift out of his lap, surprised by the cold that now wrapped around him in the darkness. He stood up and hastily hurried out of the room. Alicia had just curled up on the couch with the spare blanket and pillow when she saw him peering around the edge of the hall.

"_W_ă_nshang h_ă_o_,"

"Sweet dreams, Lee."

He nodded and quickly went into his room, shutting the door most of the way before he made his way to his bed. It rocked and shifted the wood groaning slightly as he tried to make himself comfortable. The tip of his tongue lightly traced his lips, still tingling from the kiss.

He shouldn't have kissed her.

He was supposed to be forgetting about his feelings.

She had hurt him before. She had been the cause of his issues.

And yet, Lee Wong couldn't deny that she was now the one mending him. Just being around her made him pull out of his dull routine. He actually got out of his apartment for fun and play, not just for work and training. She made more laughter replace the content feeling of loneliness that he had settled with for years now.

He was better with her around; he was a wreck whenever she walked away.

He laid there, arm tucked underneath his pillow, back to the wall and eyeing the doorway. He knew she was on the other side of the wall. For some reason, this separation was harder to cope with than when she was at her house. Perhaps it was because of the epiphany he had.

It was driving him crazy.

He couldn't sleep.

His phone buzzed on his desk once, signaling he had just received a text. Blinking, Lee propped himself up with his elbow, reaching over to grab it off the desk where it had been charging. He winced a bit, eyes sensitive from staring into the dark as the light came on and he read the message.

-_Can I come in…?-_

He felt warmth creep up his neck before sending a reply. Not even a minute went by before his bedroom door creaked open, Alicia's dark figure in the doorway, using her phone as a light and walking toward the bed.

"What's wrong?" Lee asked at once.

She fidgeted slightly, "Can't sleep… is it alright if I cuddle with you for a bit…?"

"If you want,"

He somehow managed not to stammer, but his voice was barely a whisper. The mattress sunk a bit as the brunette slowly eased herself beside him, it a tight squeeze due to the bed only being a twin-sized. The only way that they could lay comfortably was for Alicia's body to be aligned with his, cheeks resting on the pillow with his arm tucked underneath it, the other idly resting on the sheets over her hip. Her small fists were pressed to her chest, shyly looking at him in the dark. The room was barely illuminated from the moonlight peeking its way through the mahogany blinds.

"Lee… thank you."

He blinked, "What for?"

"For being here for me and caring about me like you do. I'm glad to have my best friend back. We…are best friends…right?"

There was a pause.

"Yeah. The only other person I'm this close to is Ray."

"I'm glad…" Her eyes started to close as she gave a small yawn, "Things are…easier with you around. I can talk to you about anything and everything. It's nice…"

"It is," he agreed, timidly reaching up to brush his knuckles across the back of her cheek.

She didn't say anything else, the only sound besides the hum of the AC being her breathing. Her lips were barely parted, her chest rising and falling in a slow and steady rhythm. Gold eyes closed halfway, memorizing the serene expression etched on her face. He could feel his heart beating faster in his chest, thinking of how they had kissed.

"Alicia…?"

"Mm…"

He bit down on his lip again before leaning in to press his lips to her forehead.

"Thank you,"

He drew her close and closed his eyes, allowing himself to drift to sleep, for once not dreading the memories that crept to the surface.

* * *

It wasn't like him to sleep in. Most days he had to open the store, so he was usually up by 4 A.M and at the store at 5:30. So when he woke up to sunlight streaming into his room, the sheets twisted around his legs and waist with hand raised to shield his eyes, the dark-haired boy was a little confused. He glanced around his room for a long moment, trying to wake himself up enough to recall the events of the evening prior, only to freeze.

Alicia was leaning over him, lightly tapping his cheek. "Lee? Hey, snap out of it. I made you breakfast."

"You did…? What time is it…?"

"Almost eleven," her head tipped to the side, "Is it okay if I borrow your shower? I'm weird about my hygiene."

"Go ahead," Lee felt a bit more alert now. "Wait, did you eat?"

"Yeah. I fed myself. Don't worry."

The fact she told him not to only made him want to worry more. He watched as she grabbed her bag and then headed out of the room. The shower could be heard a few minutes later, with the lion slowly pulling himself out of bed. He crossed the room and pulled out a clean pair of jeans with a yellow button down. He changed his boxers and pulled on a black tank, pulling the jeans on and then placing his arms through the short sleeves of the button down, leaving it open before he ran his fingers through his unruly black tresses, doing the best that he could to tame them in the mirror. He tied them back a moment later before giving a yawn, wanting to brush his teeth but having to wait until Alicia was done with the bathroom.

He found a plate on the counter of the nook, a fresh omelet with sausage, toast, and a cup of tea. He ate his breakfast, surprised to find that he really enjoyed her cooking. His stomach felt full as he finished, glancing at the sink to see that another plate and a frying pan had been washed, meaning Alicia had eaten like she said. He washed his own dishes, hand-drying them and putting them up just as he heard Alicia enter the living room.

"Shower's always feel the greatest in the morning~!" she exclaimed, stretching as Lee turned to glance at her. "Did you enjoy breakfast?"

"Yeah, it was really good. Has Matt been teaching you how to cook?"

"Sarah too,"

Alicia finished towel drying her hair, wearing her baggy blue and white striped t-shirt that hung off one shoulder, her tattered white skinny jeans and a pair of ankle socks. She wasn't wearing any make-up and he found her more beautiful without it. She removed the towel and went to put it in the laundry room, coming out a second later and holding her phone with a quizzical look on her face.

"Hey, Mariah sent me a text."

"My sister?" Lee was also surprised. "What's it say?"

"She wants us to go out with Mystel and her tonight on a double-date."

He hesitated, suddenly very nervous. "Do you…wanna go?"

She nodded, blushing. "She says she wants to go out to dinner and then to the mall. Does that sound like fun?"

"Yeah actually. Are you…okay with it being a date?"

"Are you?"

Lee could only nod.

"Then we're going." Alicia smiled.

With that said, she turned to head back into the bathroom, leaving a very confused adolescent behind trying desperately to understand the maelstrom of emotions that swept over him.

_Why does she make me feel this way…? Why is it she's the only person to ever… make me feel this vulnerable…? How is it she can see right through me?_

He hoped tonight Mariah would help him shed some light on things.

Otherwise, he might as well just be going out of his mind.

* * *

_A/N: Much love to Oragne Spartan for all their encouraging reviews and support! Feedback makes me motivated to continue writing. I'm also putting a lot of thought, emotion, and plot into this. I want to shed light on the fact that the bladers are normal adolescents and how life can be, especially in the modern world._

_Chapter Translations: W_ă_nshang h_ă_o - goodnight_

_Next Chapter: Losing Control_

_~Mistress of the Arts_


	6. Chapter VI: Losing Control

_Disclaimer: Beyblade does not belong to me in any way, shape, or form. Takes place in modern day - meaning all characters are over the age of 18. Warning: Contains swearing, suggestive themes, mature themes, and other things that little kiddies should not be exposed to. Read at your own risk._

_A/N: So long as I have one loyal reader/reviewer, I am not giving up on this tale of romance, friendship, and finding what the greatest joys in life are really about! :) Thank you so much OragneSpartan for everything, sweetie!_

* * *

_Chapter VI_

_Losing Control_

How much longer were things going to feel completely contradictory to him? Honestly, he wasn't sure if he was comfortable around Alicia or just awkward. Anymore, his feelings were a mixture of both. He had never been attached to _anyone_ like this before - so how the hell was he supposed to be able to maintain a grip on his already storming emotions?

It was like a Beybattle - constantly trying to read her, trying to figure out what was going on in her head as she emotionally assaulted him to the point where having any control was a lost cause. Only, this wasn't a Beybattle. This was life and this was the first time that Lee had ever felt this way. He was scared; frightened to the point that even thinking about his feelings caused him to want to take a step back and run away. Yet, the thought of Alicia not around and in his life, not making him feel this blissful havoc wasn't something he wanted either.

He was torn and losing control fast.

It didn't help that the mall was freakishly packed today. The crowd itself was something that shouldn't bother him, considering how busy the _Tiger Lily_ usually got, but it was another thing to be doing customer service and being amongst people on his own accord. Mariah and Mystel had eagerly greeted them at the food court, with Alicia a little taken aback to see them in their street clothes - considering the only time she ever saw them was at work and she was usually in Kevin's domain. Mystel was wearing a brown graphic shirt that had a gold sparrow design on the front with khaki pants and brown sandals, his arm around Mariah's shoulders. He quickly removed it after Lee pegged him with a deadly glare.

Mariah had left her hair down and curled it, wearing a cute black and pink striped round-neck top with a black skirt and flats, a black denim jacket completing the outfit. Alicia greeted her with a smile, only to get glomped and gushed over, considering the fact the brunette had changed into her plaid skirt with her own black top and even a pair of strapped black heels to go with it. Lee rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, feeling a little warm in his yellow button down and he quickly rolled up the sleeves and unbuttoned the top few buttons.

"Okies so where do you wanna go first?" Alicia asked, awkwardly swaying from side-to-side, so that the hem of her skirt was fluttering around her legs.

"Food," both males stated as if the answer was obvious.

Mariah and Alicia exchanged a look, "Boys, must you always think with your stomach?" the pinkette demanded indignantly.

"Yes," Lee replied, as the blond nodded eagerly.

Alicia chuckled, "Well, nothing we can do to change that other than to feed them. There's tons of food here, guys. Do we want to grab something here in the food court or do you wanna head to one of the restaurants here?"

"It's a date, so…we should actually go to one of the restaurants." Lee replied, glancing at Mariah in slight fear, only for her to give him a slight nod of approval. He pulled out his wallet and double-checked the amount of cash he had on hand. "C'mon, I know there's an Italian place that you'll really like, Ali."

She felt her cheeks warming a bit, "You remember I like pasta?"

"Woman, I've seen your cabinets." he lightly teased before actually easing up some, the nerves in his stomach not as frighteningly severe as they had been before. "You two okay with Italian?"

"Mmhm. Sounds perfect!" Mariah grabbed Mystel's arm. "Let's go!"

They started to make their way through the mall, heading to the restaurant on the upper level of the mall. It wasn't too packed, and they only had to wait for about fifteen minutes before they were seated, with Mystel poking fun at Lee for shifting around nervously while Mariah and Alicia looked over the menus. Lee happened to turn a vibrant red when the brunette would look over at him and give him a shy smile.

"Follow me please," the hostess said.

She was smiling at Lee, who was too oblivious to notice she mainly had eyes on him. Puffing her cheeks out, Alicia took a step closer and took his hand, entwining their fingers and hugging his arm with her free one. The hostess lost her genuine smile a moment later, rather coldly placing their menus down as she showed them to their booth. Mystel insisted on being next to the window and Alicia on the outside for washroom purposes, so Lee had to sit across from the perky .

"Yo, what's Ali muttering about?" Lee pulled himself out of his thoughts - them having scattered the moment the brunette had suddenly taken his hand - and looked at sister.

Mariah blew her bangs out of her golden irises. "You're oblivious."

"What'd I do?!"

"Just be happy somebody actually cares~" Mystel snickered, before drawing Mariah close and boldly pressing a kiss to her temple. "So, after this, we should totally hit the arcade. I want to challenge Brother to a round of air hockey!"

"Oh you are so on pretty bo - I AM NOT GONNA BE YOUR BROTHER!"

Blue eyes danced as the Grecian cackled, "Sure you're not."

Lee started to growl, baring his teeth at the blond when Alicia tugged on his sleeve. Distracted, he turned his gaze back to his date, his anger completely vanishing the moment he looked at her face.

"Hey, what's the matter?"

Everything changed - his tone, how tense his body was, even his eyes - and it most certainly did not go unnoticed by the pair across from them. Lee immediately placed his hand over the one gripping his shirt sleeve.

"I need to go to the washroom, but some of those guys over there keep giving us weird looks and it's making me uncomfortable…" Alicia said quietly.

Lee sent the group of men at the bar a warning glare, "I'll walk you to the washroom."

"We'll order your drinks then!" Mariah said. "You guys want sweet tea, right?"

Alicia nodded, "Yeah, no soda, please."

"Gotcha." Mystel winked at her, with Lee sending _him_ a warning glare.

"Behave." He warned, his tone immediately feral once more.

Alicia took his hand again, but this time more in a cautious way. Not minding in the slightest, Lee allowed her to steer him down the walkway toward the hallway where the washrooms were located. Once the brunette was safely inside, Lee leaned against the wall and waited patiently with his arms crossed and eyes closed.

"You sure it was her, man?"

"Of course - I'll never forget that whore's face."

"You saw that guy she was with though, didn't you?"

"Just some new fuck buddy of hers - sluts like her know how to use guys like him. We'll just wait till she comes out of the hallway. I'll show her not to mess with me."

_They should have just kept their mouths shut._

Eyes opening slowly, Lee calmly moved from behind the potted plant that he had carefully concealed himself behind. The group of three boys, roughly in their mid-twenties - all froze with typical "oh shit!" expressions on their faces. As calm and composed as Lee was at the moment, there was an undeniable truth in his were about to get their asses handed to them.

"Care to tell me what the hell gives you the right to run your mouth about _my_ girl?"

They exchanged a nervous look, "Do you even know who she is?"

"Yeah, my best friend from where I was like 8. Now do I have to repeat myself or are you going to give the lady an apology?" Lee cracked his knuckles, unaware that Alicia had just emerged from the washroom. "Alicia is _not_ a whore or a slut. Let me guess - stupid-assed punk like you tried to ask her out and she turned you down? Doesn't surprise me - you're not her type at all."

"Shut your mouth, you filth! You don't know who I am or anything about me!"

"Just like you don't know anything about her!"

"Really? I know tons! She's a little slut who used to run around with a group of all guys, constantly spending the night with them! Oh, the stories you should hear about your little whore, man. Bet she fucked them more than she's ever fucked y -"

He didn't get to finish his sentence, because Lee swiftly snagged him and rammed his knee straight into his crotch. He keeled over a second later, groaning in pain. The other two snarled and went to throw a punch at him, but Lee simply ducked down and tripped the other, with him going headfirst into one of the potted plants, it toppling over on top of him. The other was slammed into the wall, Alicia giving a loud cry of alarm and staggered out of the way just in time.

"Stay the hell away from her!" Lee snarled. "Next time, I'll rip it off."

"L-Lee…"

He turned, blinking once and seeing the tears prickling the corners of her heterochromatic eyes, before he quickly took her hand and pulled her out of the hallway. Lucky for them, no one had noticed the little struggle as Lee guided Alicia around a corner. He didn't say a single word, simply placing a hand on top of her head and gently petting her. She closed her eyes and then took a deep breath.

He had defended her.

"Did you even know that guy?"

She shook her head, "I think he was a friend of one of the friends I used to hang out with. We stopped being friends awhile back though…Lee, y-you don't think I d-did any of those things…d-do you?"

He shook his head, "No, of course not."

"G-Good, c-cause I'm a…a…vir…"

He shushed her, "It's alright. Now let's go eat dinner and continue on with our…er…date."

Nodding, Alicia looked down for a moment, before she looked back up and stood on tiptoe, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you."

* * *

"So what now?" Lee asked, as they walked out of _Coldstone_ with their cups of ice cream.

"Shopping!" Mariah cheered at once.

"Don't spend you entire paycheck," Lee sweatdropped. "You do have bills and you have Zhen to take care of."

"Zhen and I always go ahead and take out the money we need for the bills and put it in her back account so that everything is paid for!" Mariah stated a matter-of-factly. "Besides, this is the first chance I've gotten to hang out with Alicia! She's my friend too, you know!"

Lee gave his sister a possessive look as he suddenly huggled Alicia close, with the brunette turning bright red and squirming. Mystel chuckled and pulled out Mariah's pink i-Phone from her purse, snapping a picture.

"World's cutest couple!"

"We're not a couple!" Alicia gasped, managing to break free. She immediately snatched Mariah's hand, the two of them taking off into one of the stores.

The blond then grinned, making a bowing gesture with his hand, "Shall we, Brother?"

"For the last damn time, I ain't your brother!"

"Yeah, and Alicia is totally not gonna be your girlfriend."

Rolling his eyes, Mystel then strolled right into the store that the girls had gone into - with Lee awkwardly eyeing it and shifting around uncomfortably. Of all the stores in the entire mall, they just _had_ to go into a lingerie store - Victoria's Secret to be exact. Feeling even more awkward just standing outside and getting looks, Lee quickly darted inside and kept his eyes lowered, his face burning unpleasantly. Dammit, ever since Alicia came back into his life, his damn blood liked to flood in various places of his body.

"Oooh, this would look really sexy on you." Mariah was giggling, holding up a black shear nightie to the brunette's small frame.

Alicia shook her head, "N-No way!"

Mystel was happily rummaging through the bins of panties, casually lifting up a pair, stretching it a bit, and then looking at the pinkette with a calculating gaze. Lee swiftly raised his hand and smacked the blond upside the head, with Mystel simply laughing and rubbing it, moving quickly out of hitting range and then leaning over Alicia's shoulder to try and convince her to let Mariah spoil her.

_This has got to be the weirdest date ever. I'm watching my own sister and the girl I like playing with panties…_

He face-palmed a second later, realizing just how perverted his own thoughts sounded. He was becoming as bad as that idiot Mystel! Ugh!

So frustrating.

"Can we leave?" Lee groaned.

"Aw, is somebody getting _frustrated_?" Mariah giggled, her tone implying suggestively.

He growled a bit, "Seriously, this place is just…so wrong."

"You need to stop being so innocent. You're 21 for cryin' out loud! It's about time you settled down and got yourself a nice girlfriend!" Mariah replied shortly, hands promptly on her hips. She then grinned and suddenly had Alicia by her shoulders, "And here's the perfect candidate!"

"Real subtle there, Riah." Mystel chuckled, "Though, being forward is the best way to go!"

"W-What? W-What a-are you g-guys talking a-about?!"

"Aw, c'mon Al, don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet!" Mystel teasingly poked her cheek. "Our brother here li-"

"DIE!"

Mystel was then pitched into one of the mannequins, it toppling over him. While Mariah went to help free Mystel from the plastic boobies of death, Lee snatched the brunette's hand and began to pull her out of the store. She blushed and struggled to keep up with his long strides.

"Ohhh Brother, come hither!"

"Damn bastard!"

"L-Lee wait!"

Instead, he simply looked around and spotted a vacant photo booth, tugging the brunette inside with him and shutting the curtain. They heard Mystel calling for them before moving on, Lee daring to peek as Mariah went running by, bags from Victoria's Secret in hand. Lee glanced back a moment later, realizing that Alicia's back was pressed to the wall of the booth and he was the one pinning her.

Time became lost for a moment as their gazes collided, her hands clutching at her skirt in a nervous manner. Her heels gave her a few more inches, so instead of being level with his chest, she was much closer.

Close enough to kiss again.

Fighting back that desire, Lee tried to smile, but it came out awkward and he quickly looked away. She bit down on her lower lip.

"Lee…?"

"Yeah?"

He found it easier to focus on the ceiling of the booth.

"What did Mariah mean by me being the perfect candidate as a…a girlfriend for you…?"

"…she's got this crazy idea in her head that we should date…"

"Do…do you want to…date me?"

"Honestly…I'm still really confused…"

"M-Me too…" the brunette hesitated before whispering, "Lee…there's something…I-I've needed to tell you…for awhile now…"

"What do you mean by…awhile?"

"…something I should've told you…back when we were kids…"

His eyes closed half-mast as they finally locked back on Alicia's face.

"What is it?"

She took a deep breath, looking as frightened as a meek kitten.

"Lee….I like you…"

* * *

_A/N: Awwww! She finally told him! XD How will Lee react to Alicia's confession? And so sorry for the delayed update . I got into a writer's block, then started admining a Kingdom Hearts fan page on Facebook, then I ended up writing tons for Kingdom Hearts, and I just now got back to Beyblade. I also will be updating __**Lessons in Love**__ and __**Burning in the Skies**__ here soon! Review please!_

_Next Chapter: Across the Line_

_-Mistress of the Arts_


	7. Chapter VII: Across the Line

_Disclaimer: Beyblade does not belong to me in any way, shape, or form. Takes place in modern day - meaning all characters are over the age of 18._

_**Warning: Contains swearing, suggestive themes, mature themes, and other things that little kiddies should not be exposed to. Read at your own risk.**_

_A/N: MY BESTIE REVIEWED CHAPTER ONE AND IT WAS SO AMAZING AND JUST MADE MY DAY AND OMG IT JUST MAKES ME WANT TO CONTINUE WRITING THE ADORBSNESS THAT IS LEE x ALI AND JUST - *dies of happiness*_

* * *

_Chapter VII_  
_Across the Line_

_She…likes me…?_

Alicia didn't wait for a response, simply turning and ducking under his arm to hop out of the photo booth.

He wanted to reach out, to snag her by her wrist and pull her close, to blurt out his own feelings but he couldn't even manage to draw breath, let alone pin his thoughts down with words. All he could do was watch as the curtain fluttered closed, leaving him alone for a moment.

That's when everything came rushing back.

All those feelings he kept bottled inside for so many years - they were no longer feelings of resentment or pain from abandonment, but rather the feelings he had chosen to hide because the moment he acknowledged them, Lee knew he couldn't hide himself from reality any longer.

He was falling in love - not for the first time, but for the second time.

With the same girl.

He had innocently fell the first time when he was a child. Now, he was a man. They were the same, yet now much different. The innocence was starting to become lost.

There was the fear that gripped him, though. He wasn't sure how to even co-exist with another person like that. To share intimately his feelings, his thoughts, the dreams he kept quietly to himself in fear of disappointment or judgment.

What if he wasn't good enough? What if he wasn't able to give her all that she needed or wanted? What if…she rejected him and left him again?

Lee immediately shoved those negative thoughts and feelings back. He reached out and yanked the curtain back, springing out of the booth and immediately calling her name, but she was gone. Cursing, Lee quickly pulled his phone out his pocket and called her.

One ring.

Three rings.

Five rings.

Damn voicemail!

"_Hi, this is Alicia! I can't come to the phone right now, but please leave me a message and I'll get right back to you!_"

Lee moved quickly, peering into various stores. He quickly twitched and forced himself to ignore the fact that Mystel was in the adult section of a popular store called Spencer's while Mariah was looking at the accessories, already loaded down with tons of shopping bags. Knowing that finding Alicia was much more important then beating the crap out of the annoying blond, he quickly began to hunt for the tomboy, backtracking upon noticing her inside of Gamestop, looking at the PSP section. If he recalled correctly, her old PSP was damaged during the move and she hadn't had the funds to replace it.

Lee awkwardly made his way into the store. Tipping his head, he took a good look at Alicia, with her layered hair and little plaid skirt and heels, looking out of place amongst the several boy gamers. A few were eyeing her curiously, giving her looks as if she had accidentally wandered in there by accident. She was currently eyeing the chrome blue PSP on the wall, stored too high for her to reach on her own without assistance, and chewing on her lip and contemplating the price.

He knew she wanted it. Ever since she started working, he also knew that she hadn't dared treat herself at all. All of her funds were going to the house and helping her father. She worked her ass off and yet never did anything to make herself happy.

Lee pulled out his wallet again, smiling a bit. He had plenty of leftover cash saved up in the bank. It's not like he got out much and did anything really himself. The most he paid for was a plane ticket back to Hong Kong to visit friends. Taking a deep breath to muster the courage he had, Lee then managed to make his way over to the brunette. He touched her shoulder, with Alicia squeaking a bit and tensing, before she looked over her shoulder at him just as Lee reached up and snagged the PSP. Before she could even get a word out, he was already making his way over to the register.

Two minutes later, Lee was handing her the bag with the PSP in it.

"Let's go home,"

Blinking, the brunette only gave a slight nod, blushing as he held out his hand to her before taking it.

It was a first step to head across the line that separated them.

* * *

It was growing late. After they finally met up with Mariah and Mystel - with the pinkette insisting on giving Alicia a bag of clothes she had bought for her - they decided to call it a night and head home. Lee was a little too happy to kick Mystel out of the car at his house, before taking the girls back to the apartment complex. After helping Mariah carry her purchases into her apartment, with the pinkette exhausted from her extensive shopping trip and Zhen looking horribly frightened at the amount of shopping bags - as if trying to figure out how it would all fit in Mariah's already cramped closet - the two childhood friends then left and made their way back to Lee's apartment.

After taking turns showering and changing into their pajamas, Lee left Alicia in the living room unpacking her new PSP and beginning to fiddle around with it. She had only managed to say a word of thanks, but they hadn't spoken much since her abrupt confession.

After changing his bandages and laying in bed, exhausted from the day's activities, Lee found himself just listening to the hum of the AC and lost to his thoughts. He honestly wasn't sure how to approach Alicia - he wanted to be with her, that much was obvious, but he wasn't sure how to go about doing that.

_Why doesn't this stuff come with an instruction manual?_

The sound of knuckles rapping against his door frame pulled the Asian out of his thoughts a moment later, shifting in his bed to see that Alicia was in the doorway. She was carrying a plate with some rice balls on it, shifting a bit awkwardly.

"Hey," she said quietly. "Can I come in…?"

"Of course,"

She stepped inside the room, slowly making her way over to the desk, sitting on the edge of the chair.

"I…I made a snack for us."

"They look great. Thanks."

_This is so awkward…_

Alicia finally just moved to the bed, squirming her way close. Slowly, she lifted a rice ball up to his lips, with the lion slowly taking a bite. Her cooking was improving, especially since she started working at the restaurant. She was picking up on the recipes, having helped out on the simpler stations when they had gotten slammed.

He took the other rice ball and then lifted it to her lips as well, the brunette finding it hard to look him in the eye as she timidly took a bite. There was a pause as they both flushed a bit from embarrassment, but at the same time they didn't stop feeding each other. It was familiar and yet different, like another piece of their childhood together reenacted.

Once their snack was gone, the brunette rolled onto her side to put the plate on the desk, and then suddenly clicked out the desk lamp. Lee blinked as the brunette then rolled back over, snuggling against him wordlessly, resting her cheek on his chest. Slowly, Lee began to stroke her hair, just listening to the sound of his heart pounding.

"…things are awkward now…"

"Just a little…"

"…cause I like you…"

"I…like you too…"

"…I'm not sure what to do…"

Lee brushed his hand down her cheek, slowly taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger and lifting it so he could look into her dual-colored eyes. Apricot cheeks flooded pink once more, before he leaned down and gently pressed his lips to her forehead.

"We just…go with it."

She nodded, "Can I sleep with you…?"

Lee gave her a dull stare, "Hobbit, you happen to already have made yourself quite comfortable in my bed, under my covers, and snuggled against me. Do you really think I'm gonna throw you out?"

"…maybe?"

"No. You're too damn cute to do that."

She grinned, "Yay!"

"See? That! Right there! Stop with the cuteness!"

"No way!" Alicia then sobered, "How come you bought me the PSP?"

"You never buy anything for yourself and you're my best friend…and I have like 13 birthdays and Christmases to make up for."

She sighed, "Lee, I don't want you to spoil me, friends or whatever. I have my own money."

Shrugging, Lee then shifted so that he was on his side and she was tucked close to him. "What do you want then, if not for me to spoil you?"

"…I just want to spend time with you, to keep feeling happy…"

"Do I…make you happy, Ali?"

"Ever since we ran back into each other, it's hard to stop smiling. Even when I'm sometimes lying in my room at night, worried to death about Dad and wondering if he'll be there in the morning, you're always texting me before we go to sleep and manage to help me go to bed with a smile on my face rather than crying myself to sleep. I…you…being around has helped me cope. Other than Sarah, I've felt really alone since we moved here. Running back into you…helped so much. Now, I'm confused. I know I used to like you when I was small, but I thought it was just one of those things…then we started hanging out again and the more we were around each other, the more the lines blurred. Are we best friends, are we something more? That question has been bothering me for weeks now."

Lee was quiet for a long moment, "I…I really dunno."

"…what did you feel when we kissed?"

"Happy…excited…like…like nothing else was going to hurt me anymore…"

"I felt the same way, Lee. I just know that I want to see if we can…try and figure this out. I feel happy with you. The more I'm around you, the more I like you. But I don't want that ruining our friendship."

Lee simply responded in the only way he could - instinct.

He gently pulled her closer, simply leaning in until their lips were brushing lightly, enough for her breath to hitch and her fingers to curl slightly as she gripped the front of his t-shirt. He kept their lips pressed together for a long moment, withdrawing the moment he felt as if his heart was about to burst out of his chest.

"Sleep, you're exhausted and emotional. In the morning, call Matt and see when he's heading home. Hearing his voice will put you at ease."

Nodding, the brunette rested her head back on his chest, feeling his arms around her. For once, she fell asleep quickly, her breathing deepening within a matter of minutes. His fingers idly ran through her hair as he shifted slightly, resting his cheek on the side of her head.

This was comfortable.

This was soothing.

That's all he needed to know right now.

* * *

"Leeeeeeeee, wake up!"

He groaned and shifted in his bed, making a face as he realized that he couldn't move. Opening his eyes, the Asian peered slowly and saw that he happened to have a hobbit-like female sprawled on his chest, playing her PSP. She lifted her eyes over the edge of it and grinned.

"You're finally awake! I've tried everything to wake you up - well, not everything, cause Mystel was texting me dirty ways but…yeah…anyway." She gave a little cough and then took a deep breath, "C'mon, Dad's back home and he wants to show us something he found!"

He stiffled a yawn, "Really? Alright…" Stretching, the lion attempted to wiggle free. "Get off me first."

"…but I'm about to go into a boss fight and it'll be so much work to get up and get comfortable enough to concentrate!"

He groaned and covered his eyes with his hand, "Alright…alright…finish your boss fight and then let me up. And make it quick."

"Roger!" Grinning, Alicia then resumed playing her game. He could hear the sounds of spell casting and clashing, the voices obviously from Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, which was one of her utmost favorite games.

"DAMMIT, VANI, STAY PUT!" Alicia cursed loudly, "Aqua, move your fine ass, woman! That's it! MWHAHAH! TAKE THAT VANITAS, YOU SEXY EMO-SORA BASTARD!"

Lee snorted in mild amusement as she preceded to begin cackling madly, getting a slightly crazed expression on her face. After about ten minutes, Lee started to feel urgency down south, signaling he really needed to use the bathroom. Alicia was still heavily engrossed in her boss fight, however, and every time Lee attempted to her attention she would hiss at him and continue to mash the buttons on the handheld.

Finally giving up, Lee simply managed to slide her off, and dropped her onto the mattress before zipping out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. He heard her whining and crying in anguish a moment later, coming out after a few minutes and finding her glaring at him.

"You got me killed!"

"There is a try again feature."

She pouted and crossed her arms, "Not the point!"

He chuckled and then pulled her into a hug, "Sorry, love."

She turned bright red, "You…just called me…love…"

"Um…so I did… just kinda slipped…"

"N-No, it's okay. I don't mind. It was…kinda nice."

Lee quickly retreated, "So…er…we're going back to your place?"

"Yeah, I'm already packed and got everything in the car. Plus Sarah's back in town and she says she has to tell me something important. Honestly, I think she's finally going to admit she has the hots for Ray."

Lee turned slowly from where he was now trying to pick out some clothes for the day. He had a very surprised expression on his face. The brunette blinked and raised an eyebrow in response.

"You…did realize that Sarah likes Ray, right?"

"…no…"

Smack.

The sound of her palm meeting her forehead was loud.

"She's liked him since the day we moved here! Gosh, you're oblivious. She used to go there everyday for lunch, especially when she was working at the bookstore. Ray would usually personally wait on her and she would try out new dishes. They were friends way before you hired her."

"….WAIT! How long has she had the different colors in her hair?"

"She got those like a week before you came over. She got new glasses too."

"Same Sarah? Huh, until I got to know her personally, she seemed harmless."

"…she usually is, unless you know…you piss her off…" Alicia winced as she recalled dark memories of her best friend. "Anyway, hurry up and change!"

Lee did as he was told, finally grabbing a black t-shirt and a pair of tattered acid gray jeans, changing the moment Alicia left the room. He quickly changed his bandages - having gotten quick and efficient at them for several years now - before applying his deodorant and then quickly tying his hair back. He found Alicia in the living room, lacing her converse. He quickly slipped on his own shoes before grabbing his car keys.

The drive to Alicia's was a quick one, with them pulling up to find Sarah and Matt on the front porch. Matt was laughing and looking a lot better than the last time they had seen him. Alicia flew out of the car and across the yard.

"DADDY!"

She practically tackled him in a hug, with the archeologist laughing as he embraced her tightly. Chuckling, Lee began to unpack the car, smiling at Sarah. She looked a little tired, but she too was smiling at the heartfelt sight. Lee slung her backpack over his shoulder, snagged her PSP from the front seat, and then grabbed the shopping bag. He dared to take a peek, immediately regretting it upon seeing the dresses, short skirts, and sexy lingerie inside.

_Note to self: Kill my sister._

Once they were all inside - with Alicia perched on the couch and holding a captive Black Magic, who looked very grumpy and disgruntled to have been kitty-snatched by his mistress - Matt excitedly pulled out a stone box that had interesting designs on it with blue stones.

"Where'd you get it, Dad?" Blue and green orbs were widening.

"My friend found it in India. You three will never believe what I found when he had me inspect it. He actually gave it to me as well." Matt chuckled, his hazel eyes dancing as he looked between the two girls and Lee. "There's the spirit of a bit-beast in this box."

"No way!" Alicia shrieked in excitement. "That's so awesome, Dad! Do you know what kind of spirit it is?"

"A dragon spirit, of an ice element. The name is Lakshmi." Matt explained, before standing up and walking in the direction of the bookworm. "Sarah…I'm giving her to you."

She blinked her ice blue eyes in surprise, slowly looking up at the man who had become like a second father to her over the years. Slowly, she took the box, opening it and looking down at the bit inside. There was a moment of silence as she closed her eyes, before she smiled.

"Thank you so much, Matt."

He smiled and gave her a brief hug, "Alright, you crazy kids. I'm a little worn out from my tests, so I'm going to go relax."

"Wait, what did the doctors say?"

"I'm stable." was all Matt would say.

"Oh…um…okay. Tell me the details, later?"

"Sure," Matt replied, before giving Alicia a kiss on the forehead. "Now you crazy kids should go out and have some fun."

Alicia nodded, "C'mon, we can go practice blading in the backyard."

"Good idea! I want to see if I can bond with my bit!" Sarah paused as they were making their way into the kitchen, "Hey, Matt, we're not gonna have any freak bonding accidents like we did with Alicia, right?"

"No, not this time. Curse free."

"Curse?" Lee pinned a glare on the brunette, who was shifting uncomfortably. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Alicia took a deep breath again, "I told you that I got my bit in Kyoto, right? Um…well…I never told you what exactly happened. I found the bit in a cursed temple…he's a demon, named Ritsu and he…and I…kind of…are bonded."

"In what way?"

"…by soul. He kind of…doesn't stay in his bit. He stays within my soul. So whenever I blade, or…if I'm angry or upset…he kind of tries to take over."

"…in other words, Alicia is cursed."

Lee could only stare.

Just what have I gotten myself into…? What if…this ends up hurting her? I know I sensed something dark and unnatural but…to think that Ali is cursed? By a demon…?

The only coherent thought he had was to find a way to save her.

Otherwise…

He could really lose her for good.

* * *

_A/N: Yup. Lol. There's some supernatural shiz in here. I mean, spinning tops with ancient spirits, there's bound to be some messed up ones out there! XD Much love to those reading and reviewing, please keep it up! :D_

_Next Chapter: In My World_

_-Mistress of the Arts_


	8. Chapter VIII: In My World

_Disclaimer: Beyblade does not belong to me in any way, shape, or form. Takes place in modern day - meaning all characters are over the age of 18._

**_Warning: Contains swearing, suggestive themes, mature themes, and other things that little kiddies should not be exposed to. Read at your own risk._**

_A/N: So I decided to hit everybody in the feels with this chapter~_

* * *

_Chapter VIII_

_In My World_

Life really was insane anymore - denying this would only be a delusion.

All Lee knew at this point was that he was tired of not being honest with himself and being scared all the time. He was a strong person - losing his parents at a young age, raising his younger sister, being emotionally scarred, isolated mentally and having trouble adjusting to modern day society, suffering and yet content with loneliness, and unable to fathom human interactions other than the relationships he had built over the years through Beyblading and with his clan.

He still made it though - he still woke up every morning and took a deep breath.

Day break arrived, with Lee inhaling the still chilly morning air as he unlocked the front door to the restaurant. It was 5:30 a.m and he was opening for the day. He had about an hour and a half before Gary would come down from upstairs. He wasn't sure who the other person would be. The morning waitresses and Mariah wouldn't be in till 9:30.

Yawning a bit, Lee thought back to a week ago. A week ago he had his first kiss. A week ago he went out on his first date. A week ago the girl he was falling for confessed that she liked him. A week ago they decided to try and see where things were going to go between them. A week ago, he discovered that she was cursed.

In his world, things were never normal.

As Lee headed back into the locker rooms, he shed his dark gray t-shirt and his black jeans, pitching them into his backpack and pulling on his navy pants and open top, wrapping the bandages around his torso more as a precaution than anything else. He then slipped on his flats and tossed his skate shoes back into the locker, shutting it and spinning his combination lock.

As he started on his opening duties, Lee lost himself to his thoughts, listening to the classic rock station. He thought about the other date that he had gone on with Alicia - by themselves this time. It had been simple, just a trip downtown to see a movie and to then ice cream afterward. They had spent half the night sitting on her front porch, just talking. He had been dead tired the next day to open the store, but he honestly hadn't cared.

When was the last time I felt so content and excited to wake up the next day…?

Time seemed to fly, cause the next thing he knew, there was somebody tapping on the front door. Blinking, Lee turned to see Alicia, who had her palms pressed to it and then waving excitedly. He glanced at the clock, seeing it was ten till seven. He was confused - having expected someone else - but he wasn't going to complain.

Quickly letting her inside, Lee flipped the lock again before turning to see Alicia hopping up and down on each foot, rubbing her arms. She was shivering a bit, before suddenly she locked her arms around him and started snuggling into his warmth.

"You're warm! Good! I'm gonna hug you for ten minutes! I can't feel my fingers or tooooooes! Ohmergeeeeerd. I can't believe Mariah called off and asked me to cover her!"

"By the gods, you're frickin' freezing!" Lee cupped her face in his hands, feeling how cold her skin was. "Wait…did you walk?"

"Mmhm!"

"Where's your bike?!"

"Dad put it in the shop to get a tune-up."

"Why didn't he drive you?"

"He's out-of-town again. More tests."

"You didn't call me?!"

"I couldn't, you can't leave the store by itself."

"Alicia…"

She held up her blood red hands in defense, "I'm sorry! I was trying to be practical!"

"Dammit, you're not even dressed properly. Why the hell…" Lee cut himself off a moment later, looking her up and down as she finally shrugged off her coat. "Why are you…um…wearing a dress…?"

"Mariah needed me to cover? I thought that meant waitressing?" Alicia awkwardly shifted a bit. "Right…?"

He shook his head, "Mariah's supposed to do prep today cause Kevin is with Ray and Oliver for a meeting about the store. Why did she call you and not me?"

Alicia quickly pulled his keys out of his pocket, "I'm gonna borrow your car real quick. I'll be back in like ten minutes. I need to go change."

Lee growled a bit at her obvious evasion of his question. "Ali, what's going on?" He demanded, snagging the back of her jacket as she tried to turn and leave.

The brunette stopped short, gripping the door as her bangs shadowed her eyes. Lee loosened the grip he had on the back of her jacket, feeling that familiar sense of dread washing over him as the brunette slowly turned. She locked her green orb on him, it glossing over.

"Mariah's been having morning sickness… and yesterday, I went over to her place yesterday…and she took a test…and it…it said positive…."

Lee was having trouble processing all of this.

"…Lee, she's pregnant…"

He wasn't yelling.

He wasn't freaking out.

He was simply standing there, completely immobilized.

Alicia blinked as the dark-haired adolescent then turned and calmly walked over to the register area, hopping over it and then opening one of the drawers. He pulled out a pair of jeans and a familiar hunter green hooded shirt, before hopping back over and approaching her.

"You left these at my place. Go ahead and go change."

"…are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just need a moment."

Nodding, the brunette hugged him briefly before leaving him to change. He slowly leaned against the counter, raking his fingers through his bangs, trying hard to compose himself. He wasn't angry - though he would be lecturing the hell out of both Mystel and Mariah later. Honestly, he was just…disappointed.

He wanted what would be best for Mariah. He loved her. It was just a matter of, was she ready for such a responsibility? What did that mean for Zhen and Ray - their roommates would have to move out on them. Ray could handle the house on his own, that was expected, but Zhen…

Too many issues and red flags rose in Lee's mind - the worst part was that technically he wasn't involved and it wasn't his problem. They were adults now, not kids where he was the big brother having to do everything to handle all her problems.

"Lee…?"

Her kind voice was what brought him out of his distressed thoughts, blinking once and trying to get the haze to clear up. Sadly, he couldn't really see her, due to his vision having blurred and his eyes were burning. His throat burned too, with a thick lump in the back of it. Lee slowly lowered his hands away from his face.

She stood before him, slowly moving to take a step forward, only to hesitate. Then, she looked up and eliminated the distance between them, pulling him close. He clenched his eyes shut, feeling the warmth sliding down his face rapidly, then feeling her soft hands brushing it away. Her lips soon followed, cupping his face and standing on tiptoe, just gently kissing his lips a few times before pulling him closer till his face was pressed against her shoulder, her fingers stroking his mane of obsidian slowly.

"Shh…I'm here, love….I'm here…"

They stayed like that for ten minutes, with Lee silently clutching her to him, desperate to find the solace that she brought with her. Alicia continued to hold him close, before she glanced over just as the door was unlocked.

They were greeted with the sight of Ray, Kevin, and Oliver.

"Lee…is everything okay?" Ray immediately sounded worried.

"No," Alicia spoke up. "Look, today's not a good day for us. Can I take him home? Please?"

"Yeah, we got this." Kevin piped up. "Where's Riah?"

"…she's sick." Alicia replied quietly, "Ray, please?"

Ray nodded, "Of course. Family first. Text me later and let me know if we can do anything."

"I appreciate it. Just go ahead and call Sarah - she said she would work today if I didn't want to."

"Alright, I will." Ray pulled out his phone and then went to call the bookworm.

Oliver frowned, "I hope you feel better, mon ami."

Lee nodded in gratitude, but he was avoiding looking at everyone. Alicia turned back to him, rubbing his back for a moment.

"Let's go get your stuff."

"I-I'll go get changed," Lee replied, his voice thick.

Once he had wandered off on his own, Alicia only tore her eyes away from where he disappeared the moment Kevin touched her shoulder. She turned to look at the greenette, and in that moment she reached up and took his hand, squeezing it.

"Hey…hey…why are you cryin' now?" Kevin asked softly, immediately reaching up to wipe her eyes from the tears that escaped them.

"I've never in my life felt like my heart had been wrenched out until I saw him cry…him hurting…it's the worse feeling in the world."

"Alicia, that just means you really love him."

She nodded slowly, "It scares the hell out of me, but…I think I've loved him since I was a kid…"

Kevin chuckled a bit, "Nothing wrong with that. Ain't that right, Oliver? You can fall in love at any age!"

Oliver nodded in agreement, "Oui, love is a beautiful thing and it happens in various ways. It can hit you in a moment, or it can grow and develop over time, even with gaps of being far apart and distantly connected. What matters is what your heart says." Wise and smiling amethyst eyes locked on the American. "So tell me, cherie, what does your heart say?"

"I'm falling for Lee and I don't want to stop."

"Awwww," Kevin teased, poking her side. "You're so cute. How are you gonna tell him?"

"Erm…I kinda wanna wait…he's still getting used to the idea of like even just…dating…"

The two nodded in agreement, quickly quieting down as Lee came back, changed back into his street clothes with his hoodie pulled on. Alicia already had his keys, pausing to give Kevin a quick hug, before the two left the store. Due to the cold, Lee had actually driven today, so Alicia climbed into the driver's seat and adjusted it. Once Lee was inside, his arms crossed as he leaned against the car door with his eyes closed, the brunette started the car and pulled out onto the street.

"Where do you wanna go? Home?"

Lee shook his head, "Honestly, I don't want to be anywhere near my sister right now."

"I don't want to see her either. I mean, it was her choice and they have to deal with the consequences, but she kind of pulled me into it. She made me promise I wouldn't tell you. But…I can't lie to you or keep secrets. So…I'll deal with my own consequences."

She had just pulled in front of her own house, where Sarah had just emerged. She blinked in surprise, looking about ready to call someone.

"Get in," Lee said, "We'll drop you off."

"What's goin' on?" Sarah asked as she climbed in, with Alicia heading back in the direction of the Tiger Lily.

"Personal stuff. I wasn't even scheduled today and Kevin came in. I'm sorry they're calling you in."

"No, no, I don't mind actually." Sarah blushed faintly, "Ray asked me and plus it's extra money for me. I've been wanting to take a trip."

"We'll be closed in two weeks for four days. We're getting some remodeling done. The White Tigers and I were just going into the mountains. You girls can come with us."

"Really? Like…secret White Tiger X training grounds?"

"Haha, more like a cabin in the mountains. It's the closest place that reminds us of back home."

"We should go…there sometime." Alicia was quiet. "I miss the village. It's been so long."

"I wanna go too!" Sarah squealed from behind them. "Can we please, please, please try and go before summer ends?"

Lee chuckled a bit, "Yeah, I'll talk to Ray about it."

"Sweet! Kay, guys, see you after work! We have an anime marathon later, Alicia! Don't forget!"

"Alright, I won't." Alicia chuckled as the bookworm eagerly hurried out of the car and into the restaurant. "She ordered a new box set of anime for us to watch together. You can watch it with us. Aren't you off tomorrow?"

Lee nodded as they once again pulled in front of the familiar one-story house. The swing in the yard was idly swaying from the light breeze, and a familiar black feline peered one eye from where he was sleeping comfortably on the window-sill of the porch. Once the car was locked, Alicia handed Lee his keys before she went to open the front door.

The house was quiet and seemed a little lonely without the sight and sounds of Matt there. His computer was shut down, and the living room just felt eerily empty. Topaz orbs glanced at the American out of the corner of his eyes, seeing the expression on her face moments before she quickly masked it.

She was already grieving.

He knew the truth and so did she - it was only a matter of time.

"Are you hungry?"

He shook his head, slipping off his shoes at the door and then shrugging off his hoodie. He hung it up on the coat rack, watching as she went to check on Hikaru. Without really thinking about it, he wandered down the photo-graphed line hallway and into her room, simply crawling into her bed and closing his eyes.

The silence was interrupted, suddenly the sounds of So Far Away by Staind suddenly playing throughout the room. Lee opened his eyes, seeing that Alicia was crawling into bed beside him, sitting up and then suddenly moving so that his head was in her lap. Nimble fingers quickly unbound his hair, before they started to run through the dark tresses. Very softly, she began to sing along.

"'Now that we're here, it's so far away, all the struggle we thought was in vain - all in the mistakes, one life contained, they all finally start to go away. Now that we're here, it's so far away, and I can feel like I can face the day and I can forgive, and I'm not ashamed to be the person that I am today… These are my words, I've never said before, I think that I'm doing okay. This is the smile that I've never shown before. Somebody shake me, cause I…I must be sleeping…'"

Lee looked up at her as she trailed off, smiling sadly at him. He lifted his head and then slowly moved in closer, shifting so that she was starting to lean back onto the bed. Hovering over her, he found himself staring into her blue and green eyes, before he leaned down gently rubbed his nose to hers. She gave a small giggle, smiling at him that radiant smile that always seemed to get his heart racing.

"Alicia, can you stay with me…?"

"What do you mean, Lee?"

He hesitated, licking at his dry lips as he tried to swallow. It was hard though, due to how dry his mouth had become. She waited, glancing up at him curiously as her chocolate hair fanned out on the pillow. He idly began to brush the tips of his fingers against the exposed skin of her hip. She shivered a bit but didn't speak, her breath hitching slightly.

"I…want to try….being together."

"R…really…? Like…actually…together…?"

He nodded, brushing his thumb against the soft skin of her cheek. "If you'll have me, Ali."

Her lips found his in response, gently pulling him down for a sweet kiss that took his breath away and made his heart pound. It lasted for a long moment, before she withdrew and smiled.

"I would be honored."

* * *

"About frickin' time!"

Alicia sighed, not wanting to separate herself from cuddling with Lee. They had spent the majority of the day just talking, cuddling, and watching Netflix. She sat up enough to see that Sarah in the doorway, grinning madly as she held out her cell phone, where she had her Facebook page open.

Even across the room, the words "Alicia Godric is in a relationship with Lee Wong" stood out, including the number of likes and several comments. The brunette had to turn off her phone due to the multiple texts and mobile notifications that had assaulted her with constant vibrations, to the point it would not cease vibrating for twenty minutes until she finally just yanked the battery out. Now, Sarah was home from work for their anime night, looking very smug.

"I called it. Like…a month ago."

"I'm well aware, woman." Alicia groaned, flopping back onto the bed and hiding her eyes. "You wouldn't shut up about it the night I brought him back. You sat there and kept bugging me til I admitted my crush. I get it. You win. I owe you my Dark Magician and my Dark Magician Girl 1st Edition cards." She then shot back up, "How was the store today? Did we get busy?"

"Just the usual lunch rush, nothing too major. Ray paid me time-and-a-half cause I've worked over a week in a row now, coming in for people. Not that I mind - so much money~ I'm totally going to be able to buy my Aqua cosplay for the convention next month."

Lee chuckled, "Last week when Ray came over, he was so grateful you've been able to cover, especially since we had two quits and one girl on maternity leave."

"Would be better if crazy lady here would like…come out from hiding with Kevin to wait tables too."

"You guys hired Salima and Mattie, you don't need me!"

"I'm the shy one here," Sarah rolled her eyes, "and yet you're the one who hides whenever there are a bunch of people. I swear…"

"Can we just…order dinner and then watch the anime?"

Sarah jabbed Lee with the toe of her shoe, "You staying?"

He nodded, "I'm avoiding going home."

"Stay the night then." Sarah narrowed her eyes, "But no funny business."

Lee rolled his eyes, "Sare, you know me. I'm not going to go corrupting Alicia or stealing her innocence. I do have morals."

"It's not you I'm worried about…"

"HEY! SHUDDUP!"

Cackling, the brunette then went to leave. "I'm going to go shower and change. Go ahead and order the pizza. I want green peppers on mine!"

"Fiiiine." Alicia rolled her eyes as she cringed, looking at her phone. "I dun wanna deal with crazy people!"

Lee snorted, "I got it." He reached into his pocket and withdrew his cell - only to pause as he realized Alicia could see his background. It was the snapshot that Mystel had taken of them at the mall too. She blushed and then grabbed her laptop, opening her browser and revealing the same photo was her profile picture.

They simply looked at one another, before bursting into laughter.

"Gods, we're oblivious!"

"Yup!" Alicia wiped her eyes, grinning from ear-to-ear.

He drew her in close, taking a deep breath. "Still awkward?"

She shook her head, "No. Just…a little scary. I mean, what if we don't…work out? Then what?"

"Best friends first, Ali." Lee replied, his tone serious.

Alicia nodded before she then looked down at her shoes, "Then…make me a promise."

"What is it…?"

"As soon as we can, I want you to take me back…back to White Tiger Hills."

He hesitated, "I'm…not too sure if…that's a good idea."

She stiffened, "Fine. I'm going to go order the pizza. I'll just use Sarah's phone."

The door closed quietly behind her.

Too quietly.

…Shit…

She was pissed.

"Alicia! Wait!"

Lee hurried out of the room, but he didn't see her. He checked Sarah's room and the kitchen, trying to find her. He was about to head back toward the bedrooms when he heard something. Turning, he glanced at the hallway closet, slowly pressing his ear to the door.

The sounds of her tears sent the first stab of pain resonating through his heart.

"I'm so sorry…"

He just couldn't change the way things were in his world.

Not yet.

* * *

_A/N: This chapter was meant to just…make you guys sad XD Next chapter should be more humoress. With an introduction of a new character too! :D Review please!_

_Next Chapter: Sparks Fly_

_-Mistress of the Arts_


	9. Chapter IX: Sparks Fly

_Disclaimer: Beyblade does not belong to me in any way, shape, or form. Takes place in modern day - meaning all characters are over the age of 18._

**_Warning: Contains swearing, suggestive themes, mature themes, and other things that little kiddies should not be exposed to. Read at your own risk._**

_A/N: Alright, time for the introduction of a new character! Hope you guys are ready for this~ :D_

* * *

_Chapter IX_

_Sparks Fly_

"Thanks for coming in, hope to see you again!"

"Yeah, definitely!"

"Gosh, you two are so cute!"

Lee chuckled as he watched the exchange between Mariah, Salima, and Mathilda. The two new-hires were amazing at their job, bringing in a lot more customers than expected._ The Tiger Lily_ was growing in popularity as being one of the finest Chinese restaurants in the entire city. So many familiar faces showed up almost on a daily basis.

It felt just like how things used to be.

"Hey, guys!" Sarah had just arrived, looking excited.

Lee perked up at once upon seeing the bookworm, "Sare! Hey! Where's Ali?"

"Dangit, Simba, why can't you ever be excited jus' to see me?!" Sarah exclaimed, only to grin. "Just kiddin'. She's actually at the airport right now. Don't worry, you'll see her later!" She turned and saw that Kevin and Gary were roping one of the sections of the restaurant off. "Are we still closing tomorrow for the remodel?"

"Yeah, we are. We've been slammed all day too." Lee chuckled.

"_Oui_, business is booming. Papa shall be pleased."

Sarah glanced and saw Oliver seated at one of the tables, sipping a cup of tea and smiling. He was looking around at everyone and the restaurant, a gleam of pride in the Majestic's eyes. Sarah giggled a bit, looking happy too. She remembered when this was just a new restaurant on the corner, barely recognized. Now with the Beyblade Battle Association promoting it through their local tournaments for the younger kids along with all of their friends getting the word out there, they were climbing the ranks of popularity. Ray was able to hire more of their friends that lived in town, having the hours to give. Paychecks were amazing, not to mention the tips.

Alicia running back into Lee had been one of the best things to ever happen to the two of them.

"So this is the infamous _Tiger Lily_."

Lee turned his head just as the door opened, immediately scrambling out of his stool and hopping over the counter. He rushed forward in greeting, only to abruptly come to a stop and then bow respectfully before a familiar archeologist. Matt simply chuckled before bursting into laughter and a smile, his hand reaching down to ruffle Lee's hair.

"Just like when you were a kid! Haha, you haven't really changed much, Lee."

"I-I'm sorry, Matt! I didn't have the c-chance to a-ask you p-permission to d-date your daughter!"

Sarah snorted and exchanged a look with Salima, the two bursting into a fit of giggles while the pinkettes began to tease Lee for his apparent blush. He sent them all a warning glare, but with the bright red face and looking frightened of the father before him, he was as intimidating as a harmless kitten. Matt simply shook his head.

"Alright, what's a guy gotta do to get some lunch around here?" Matt then smiled, clearly amused.

"Right this way, Mr. Godric!" Mariah exclaimed, grabbing a menu and then eagerly taking the man's hand.

Matt grinned a bit, "Been a long time since a pretty young lady other than my daughters greeted me so enthusiastically! Today is definitely a great day!"

Mariah giggled as she led the archeologist over to a private little booth, chatting with him eagerly and giving recommendations. Since he was family of the staff, he was allowed to have the employee discount, so he decided to go all out. Kevin and Gary perked up at this, immediately heading for the kitchens.

"I shall also lend a hand! _Monsieur_ Godric deserves to taste my beautiful masterpieces as well!"

Lee chuckled, "Well I'll be damned…he's our guest of honor for today."

Sarah crossed her arms as Salima and Mathilda went to go and greet a few other customers that had just arrived. Glancing at the Asian out of the corner of her eye, the bookworm then placed a hand on his shoulder. Lee glanced at her before smiling, gripping her hand as well. Their moment was interrupted however the moment the door opened once again, revealing two very familiar faces.

"Brother!"

Lee immediately gave a twitch and then a sigh, grimacing a bit before straining a smile as Mystel hopped over to him and gave him a bro-hug. He returned it awkwardly, before turning his attention back on the brown-haired woman, only to find Sarah was gone.

Because with Mystel happened to be Brooklyn Maesfield - he was much better after the BEGA incident with him going insane and taking everyone into an alternate dimension within his own corrupted mind. Therapy and the whatnot had helped, along with Garland Siebald sticking by his side.

The ginger had stopped short, gazing at Sarah for a long moment, before his blue eyes lit up and he eliminated the space between them.

It was like a scene from a shojo manga, where flower petals would have been dancing around them in the air and wind lightly teasing their hair as Brooklyn swept Sarah into his arms, holding her chin between his fingers and their blue eyes meeting. She immediately turned bright red, parting her lips in an attempt to speak, but no words came.

"You are the utmost gorgeous and ethereal creature my eyes have ever laid upon. Dearest angel, please grant me the honor of taking you out for an enchanting evening~" He even winked.

"Um…I-I…um…w-wha-?"

Lee whipped his head around just as he sensed a familiar aura, emitting darkly from behind them. The next thing anyone knew, Ray had pulled Sarah out of Brooklyn's hold.

"Brooklyn! For the last time, it is inappropriate for you to manhandle my employees! Now leave!"

_Sounds more like you're just jealous…_

"Um…R-Ray…y-you're kind of…d-doing the same t-thing…" Sarah squeaked, blushing even worse upon the tiger's closeness.

Ray blinked, gold eyes meeting blue, before he too turned red and quickly released her. "Sarah…please go into the back for a bit."

"O-Okay,"

Dazed, the brunette quickly headed for the back. Brooklyn played with his earring as Ray sent a deadly glare at him, the territorial tension building from the gold-eyed tiger. Ray simply pointed toward the door.

"Out."

"I wasn't causing a scene," Brooklyn chuckled, "The only one who did was you, Raymond."

"You are not allowed to touch my employees. It's harassment."

"Ah, but you are the manager and you just touched your own employee in a way that was much more inappropriate than what I did, so the only one guilty of harassment is yourself!"

Ray growled, "Are you trying to pick a fight with me?"

Brooklyn shrugged, "Not really. Just find it funny how overprotective you were over one little waitress. Unless…you're secretly having an affair with her and you really wouldn't want that getting out, now would we?" He had that creepy grin in place as Ray stiffened. "It would be _inappropriate_ and tarnish this good business' name, now wouldn't it?"

"Yo, shut it before I kick you out myself." Lee growled. "Ray and Sarah are just friends, but you were crossing lines. Do not touch the employees again or else."

"Is that a threat?"

"Brooklyn, stop please." Mystel immediately popped up. "You know the White Tigers are my family. Besides, you have that thing with Ga-"

Brooklyn simply walked out.

"What the hell?" Ray sweat dropped, shaking his head. "I'm just…going to go and check on Sarah."

Mystel had wandered off again, to go help the girls carry out Matt's order. Lee bit his lip for a moment before speaking up. "Ray, do you…have feelings for her?"

Ray was quiet for a long moment, "I like her, but Brooklyn's right. It would be…inappropriate."

"I don't think it would be." Lee replied shortly. "We aren't the kind of place where that would affect our job. We all have grown up together. We're family. Alicia and I are together and we both work here. Kevin and Zhen are bound to happen too. Mystel and Mariah are together too. Screw him - he's only jealous. If you care about her, tell her."

Ray chuckled, "Thanks, Lee."

"Anytime, bro."

Ray then headed toward the back, just as Oliver once again emerged from the kitchens, looking very pleased with himself. He had just approached Lee - Lee being the center point of attention today, it seemed - when they heard the sound of a motorcycle. Both glanced to see a silver Suzuki 2009 motorcycle parking across the street. The driver climbed off and removed her helmet and her leather jacket, revealing Alicia. She then helped the second girl on the back of the bike remove her helmet.

Both boys were transfixed, Lee over the fact that Alicia had actually drove her motorcycle, and Oliver due to the revealing of long ebony curls that cascaded down the other girl's back. Her complexion was fair and she had a dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose, wearing a hooded pink tank top with white skinny jeans. Alicia was chatting with her eagerly as they crossed the street.

The moment they stepped inside, Oliver was immediately swooping in, taking the dark-haired girl's hand and pressing a kiss to the backs of her knuckles. Her camellia-colored irises blinked as she blushed slightly, taken aback by the greenette. Alicia could only giggle.

"Wow, you move in quick, don't you?"

"Uh, Ali, who is this girl?"

Alicia squealed and tackled Lee in an affectionate hug, "I missed you!"

He chuckled and hugged her back, "Missed you too, love. Now…your friend?"

"Ah, yes! I almost forgot! This is Lissa Aqissiaq!"

"Lissa…wha-?"

She giggled, "My bestie from Greenland."

"How in the hell…?"

"We lived together!" Lissa exclaimed, grinning. "For six months, while our papas were excavating together! We became the best of friends. I'm staying with them for the rest of the summer while Papa is in Iceland."

Alicia smiled, "I just picked her up from the airport."

"Well, it's nice to meet you." Lee replied, giving an awkward smile. "I'm Lee."

"I know, you're dating Ali!" Lissa giggled happily. "You two are adorable as a couple, really. You're going to have the cutest babies one day!"

"Whoa!" Alicia turned red and immediately placed a lot of distance between them. She nervously began to brush some hair behind her ear, "W-who said anything about babies, Liss?"

Camellia orbs closed as a sly smile crossed the Greenlander's face, "You're so cute, Ali. You totally know you two are going to be together!"

"I…I would hope so but…anyway!" Alicia hastily grabbed Lissa's arm, "We're going to get something to eat! Oh, hey! There's Dad! Let's go! NOW!"

Lissa whined as she was dragged, but she quickly heeded the American. Oliver continued to stare after them, looking very lovestruck. Lee even went to the means of waving a hand in front of his face and snapping his fingers. He finally pinched Oliver's side, causing the shorter male to jolt and snap out of his trance.

"She is…ethereal. I must draw her!"

Lee face-palmed, "Dude, that totally didn't so creepy at all."

Oliver pouted a moment later, "Pardon me, but I am an artist! She is my muse and I must immortalize her beauty!"

"You just met her, give it a few days before you whip out the canvas, bro." Lee chuckled, patting Oliver's back. "Lissa seems really easygoing. Little insane too." He seriously questioned how it was that Alicia attracted equally insane friends. "I'm sure she'll agree. But right now, let's give her the space and time she needs with Alicia. It's been awhile since they've seen each other and it's obvious they've really missed each other." He indicated over to where Alicia and Lissa were hugging in the booth as Matt eagerly chatted with them.

"I agree." Oliver faintly smiled.

"Alright, I better get out of here." Lee glanced at the time. "I have to go with Mariah to her doctor's appointment."

"Good luck, mon ami."

"Thanks."

Lee clocked out, glancing over his shoulder one last time, before opening the door and heading out into the sunlight.

* * *

"Just another run and then I'll go home."

Lee stifled a yawn, grateful that he had tomorrow off. It was the last day the store would be open before the renovations, with the White Tigers preparing for their trip into the mountains. Sarah and Alicia were at home - with Lissa - getting ready for the trip.

It was already after ten, the sky a deep midnight and the stars barely sparkling overhead due to the city lights that reflected on the water. The river rushed beside him, the occasional sound of a car crossing the bridge above catching the lion's attention.

He took a deep breath, the cool air filling his lungs, before he opened his eyes. The golden irises were sharper, locked on his target. Muscles tensed and relaxed before he gave a battle cry, unleashing Galeon. The dark blade whizzed and shot with incredible speed, taking out all twelve metal cans within a minute, slicing them into little bits.

He caught the blade a moment later, smiling to himself. He had definitely improved in strength. Testing his skills against Ray was definitely on his agenda for this weekend. He also wanted to see if Kevin, Gary, and Mariah had improved. They wanted to be ready for the next World Championships. One more shot at taking on Tyson.

The metal above him rumbled as a truck passed by overhead, before Lee suddenly felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. The air shifted and he immediately turned, blade aimed directly at the newcomer. He relaxed a moment later, recognizing the chocolate tresses, dancing down her shoulders and the dual-colored eyes, glowing in the streetlights. She was hugging herself, her windbreaker left open.

Only, something was off with her.

Alicia didn't give him that normal grin of excitement she usually wore whenever they saw each other. Her face was very stoic, but her eyes betrayed every emotion. His heart clenched slightly in his chest, recognizing the signs of pain that underlied the sapphire and emerald orbs. Her fingers began to nervously dig into her thigh, pulling at the frayed and tattered denim of her jeans. The moment she moved her arm, Lee's eyes locked on her bare torso, the pupils expanding at the sight of the red claw marks slashed across her hip.

They were too large to be from Hikaru or Black Magic. Dried droplets of blood were splattered on her jeans, some staining her apricot skin. Her lips parted a moment later as she tried to take a step forward.

"Alicia!"

He went to move, only to freeze. She had reacted in a heartbeat, a chrome launcher reflecting in the light. Her blade was a sharp blue, cobalt. That's when he noticed the changes on her expression - angry, teeth ground, and pupils narrowing.

"Alicia, snap out of it!"

Her blade launched, sparks flying as the metal collided, whirling. The battle began, both tense. Lee was struggling to keep up - she was quick, so quick that he didn't dare blink. If she broke passed Galeon, then he knew that she would hit her real target.

Him.

_Is this…Ritsu? The demon bound to her soul and heart? Something must've pushed her…something must've allowed her to surrender control. I have to…I have to help her! Somehow! But…but how can I?!_

Feral growls emitted from her throat, her nails digging into her skin. His eyes widened as he saw the crimson soaking through, coating her fingertips and nails, her body rigid as she continued to bleed. She was slipping away, farther and farther. Soon, she would completely succumb.

She truly was cursed.

"Alicia, snap out of this, please!"

Nothing was getting through anymore.

Her scream cut through the night air just as everything around them became dark. It was as if they were trapped in a cave. The only thing Lee could see and hear were the sparks and their blades battling. He whirled, trying to figure out what was happening.

He heard laughter, maniacal and maddening, ringing in his ears before he whirled, seeing glowing and opalescent blue eyes.

"Al…Alicia…?"

That's when he got his first look at the demon within.

Ritsu looked human, but at the same time he didn't. Blue fire was atop of his head, like horns, and his black tresses fell to his shoulders and framed his porcelain face. His ears were long and pointed and he had fangs, his eyes as blue as the fire. Long talons were at his fingertips and black wings came from his back, as leathery as a bat's, as black as onyx. He had scars lining his bare torso and chest, with a black tattoo on his chest, the bottom half of his body covered in black cloth, the hems tattered as well.

That was the last sight Lee saw before blue flames illuminated the dark space, seconds before it shattered around them like a mirror. His blade went flying, coming to a stop after hitting the concrete wall of the bridge. Lee didn't even have a chance to react before fire erupted from his face, blood sliding down his cheek and staining his collar and neck. He barely managed to dodge another attack.

Relentless the blade attacked him, with Lee trying to dodge the blows. Alicia was completely hunched over at this point, shaking violently, hugging herself as her thigh continued to coat blood. Ritsu hovered behind her, cackling.

Lee's leg gave out as the blade struck his thigh, ripping his jeans and slicing open the skin. His boots gave out from beneath him, his body hitting the icy waters of the river a moment later.

"LEE!"

He heard her scream moments before he went under.

* * *

_A/N: I am mean. O.O I honestly have no clue where that came from. Anyways, reviews please!_

_Next Chapter: Gorgeous Nightmare_

_~Mistress of the Arts_


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